₹5,000 Token Made Scam Look Real: Indore Tile Trader Loses ₹2.5 Lakh In WhatsApp Fraud

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A tile businessman was allegedly duped of Rs 2.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters using a fake discount offer on WhatsApp and hiring a third-party transporter to stage a photo-realistic deal in the Kshipra police station area.

According to the police, the complainant Saddam Patel, a resident of Kadwa village, was targeted between Aug 26 and Aug 28, 2026.

Patel, who runs a tile business, received a promotional banner on WhatsApp advertising "600 x 1200 MM one-time stock available," accompanied by a detailed product catalogue PDF.

After negotiating the price, the fraudsters agreed to dispatch the goods and provided Patel with the contact and vehicle details of a driver from Shivam Road Lines.

To gain Patel's trust, the fraudsters paid the innocent driver a Rs 5,000 token amount to load the truck.

Patel verified the full shipment via a live video call with the driver, confirming that the order was loaded according to his specifications.

Once the truck was loaded, the fraudster urged Patel to transfer the funds immediately, emotionally manipulating him by claiming it was a festival day and his sisters were waiting for him at home.

Patel first sent Rs 1 as a test transaction, then transferred the remaining Rs 2,49,999 in multiple instalments using QR codes from his own account, his brother's account, his cousin's account, and a friend's account.

Immediately after the final payment went through, the fraudster switched off his phone.

An hour and a half later, the transport company called Patel to inform him that he had been scammed.

When Patel asked how the company had loaded the vehicle without verifying payment, the caller revealed that the scammer had staged the entire loading process using the Rs 5,000 advance token.

Police registered a case under sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS. Further investigation is underway to track the bank accounts and digital trail used in the crime.