Pune: Engineering Company Director Falls Prey To Rs 1 Crore Scam Promising Pizza Franchise During Cricket World Cup

Bhosari, 9th July 2023: A director of an engineering company in Pimpri Chinchwad fell victim to an elaborate online scam, losing a staggering amount of Rs 1 crore.

The fraudsters lured him with the promise of a franchise opportunity for well-known multinational pizza restaurant chain, Domino’s, claiming it was connected to the upcoming 50-over men’s cricket World Cup. Additionally, they enticed him with the prospect of opening a branch at the Pune airport.

The incident came to light when the victim lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Bhosari MIDC police station, under the jurisdiction of Pimpri-Chinchwad police, on 7th July. Police officials initiated an investigation and discovered that the complainant had been coerced into making numerous transactions to multiple bank accounts between June 9 and July 7. These transactions were made under various pretexts related to the franchise establishment of the pizza restaurant chain in Mumbai and Pune during the World Cup, as well as at the Pune International Airport.

Authorities revealed that similar cyber fraud cases involving the fraudulent use of the same pizza restaurant chain’s name had been reported across India recently. The scammers deceived unsuspecting victims by offering them franchise opportunities.

According to the FIR, the victim, who operates an engineering components manufacturing company, had been actively seeking investment options in the food and hospitality sector. During his search, he encountered platforms advertising franchises for the pizza chain. In early June, he filled out an online form, and on June 9, he received a call from an individual posing as a franchisor executive.

On June 21, he received a letter of intent, outlining the terms and conditions of the contract. The fraudsters compelled him to transfer Rs 2.65 lakh as an initial processing fee. Subsequently, he was coerced into paying approximately Rs 6 lakh for a no-objection certificate (NOC) and Rs 7.5 lakh as an initial payment for machinery to be used in the outlet. These payments were made in four installments, with the victim being informed that the franchise outlet would be located at the Pune airport.

Over the following days, the victim was contacted by cyber fraudsters masquerading as other franchisor executives. They demanded additional transfers of Rs 2.6 lakh and two payments of around Rs 12 lakh each to complete the contractual formalities. Moreover, they demanded Rs 20 lakh for the interior decoration of the franchise outlet at the Pune International Airport.

As the fraud progressed, the victim received calls from individuals claiming to be senior executives, presenting an opportunity to open franchises in Pune and Mumbai during the upcoming cricket World Cup. The callers requested payments of Rs 15 lakh and Rs 33 lakh for these franchises, which the victim reluctantly made. In less than a month, the total amount transferred by the victim exceeded Rs 1 crore.

During the payment of Rs 33 lakh, the victim became suspicious when he realized the funds were being sent to personal accounts rather than a registered entity. Further inquiries confirmed his worst fears, prompting him to approach the Pimpri-Chinchwad police and file a complaint. Authorities have initiated a probe into the cell phone numbers, email addresses, and bank accounts associated with the cyber fraudsters named as Deepak Sharma, Nipun Mittal and Prakash Singh.