Hyderabad: A man from Shamirpet, who was planning to purchase cement bags in bulk at a discounted price, was allegedly duped of ₹20 lakh by a cyber fraudster posing as a representative of a leading cement company.According to the police, the victim searched online for the company’s customer care number and contacted the number he found. The person who answered identified himself as a company representative.“The complainant introduced himself as being in the construction business and informed the caller that he required 450 cement bags. The accused agreed to sell each bag for ₹280, with the total cost amounting to ₹1.26 lakh,” police said.However, the accused later made multiple calls to the victim and claimed that the complainant first needed to obtain a membership to avail the discounted price. Trusting the claim, the victim transferred ₹5 lakh.“After receiving the payment, the accused sent me a document titled ‘certificate of membership,’ which made me believe it was genuine. Over the next two months, the fraudster repeatedly demanded additional payments, citing various departmental formalities. He assured me that the membership would soon be approved and the cement would be supplied at the promised rate.” the complainant statedBelieving the claims, the complainant eventually transferred a total of ₹20 lakh.When the promised supply failed to materialise, and the membership process continued to be delayed, the complainant visited the cement company’s corporate office in Mumbai. There, company officials informed him that he had fallen victim to cyber fraud and that the company had no connection with the individual he had been dealing with.Realising he had been cheated, the complainant approached the police, who have registered a criminal case.
