Pune: 48-year-old trader falls for fake oil deal message

PUNE: A 48-year-old trader from Mukundnagar on Satara Road was duped of Rs 39.55 lakh by unknown persons from March last year.
The trader had received a text message offering him an attractive business deal in a certain oil product that was required to prepare a veterinary medicine, an officer from the Swargate police station said.
He started negotiating for an oil consignment. He paid a total of Rs39.55 lakh in three instalments as advance money, processing and delivery charges, till he realized he had been cheated, the officer said.
A fortnight ago, the trader approached the cyber police with a complaint and post-verification for the same, who then referred the matter to the Swargate police to register a formal FIR.
In March last year, he received a message as well as a call from a cellphone number that was registered in the United Kingdom.
The message mentioned a high demand in the international market for the branded oil, which was used for manufacturing veterinary medicines as well as vaccines for treatment of human ailments. The callers told the trader they would help him sell the oil in India and other global destinations.
Later, the complainant received mails from callers asking him to make online transfers. But, he failed to get the oil consignment, the officer said. The parties that offered him the business deal also stopped taking his calls. and the complainant realized that he had been duped.