South Delhi businessman duped of Rs 3 lakh by fake bank executives offering car loan
South Delhi businessman duped of Rs 3 lakh by fake bank executives offering car loan
Owning a car has become a cakewalk. You just need to apply for a car loan and finance companies will only be too happy to oblige. And if you don't stop them, an army of car loan company executives will land at your doorstep.
If this easy-loan facility makes you happy, it pleases impostors too as a South Delhi businessman learnt the hard way.
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Cheated: Sujoy Guptau00a0pic/Mid day |
On June 8, Sujoy Gupta, a resident of Malviya Nagar, was duped of about Rs 3 lakh by impostors posing as bank executives offering a car loan.
He had applied for a loan to buy a new car with HDFC bank in April this year. His loan, however, was rejected by the bank, as he had recently shifted residence. As per bank rules, a loan applicant has to stay at the address mentioned in the application for at least three months after applying for the loan.
Gupta was taken aback when after two months, in the first week of June, a person named Vishal called him claiming to be an executive from HDFC, offering him the loan. "He sent a man called Rahul to my residence to collect the necessary documents required to get the loan. Rahul asked me to sign a few forms and assured to process the loan as soon as possible. After two days, an executive called me to inform that my loan of Rs 7 lakh had been sanctioned by HDFC," said Gupta.
After a few days, during which the victim was told his documents were being processed, Gupta was offered a discount of Rs 25,000 on down payment on the car price if he bought it from a Gurgaon showroom. He was asked to reach the showroom with the down payment amount of Rs 2,78,000.
Lured by the offer, Gupta reached the MGF showroom in Gurgaon on June 8 with Rs 2,50,000 in cash and decided to pay the remaining amount through credit card. "At the showroom I met Rahul, who seemed he was a regulator there. He introduced me to Sunny, who was dressed like the other employees of the showroom.
Sunny asked me to pay him the cash," Gupta said.
Gupta's became suspicious when Sunny asked him to wrap the money in a newspaper.
"Everything was going smoothly but when they asked me to wrap the money in a newspaper, I was surprised. Still, I handed over the money. And then, I could not find either Sunny or Rahul," said Gupta.
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After waiting for a while, Gupta enquired about the two at the showroom. It was only then he realised that they were fraudsters.
Gupta registered a case under Section 420 (Cheating) at the Civil Lines police station. "We strongly suspect the involvement of either a staff of the bank or the showroom. We have seen many cases of fraud where ex-employees were involved, as they could easily seek information about loan-seekers. We are investigating the matter," said Bir Singh, sub-inspector and investigating officer of the case.u00a0
For clues, the police have also analysed the security camera footage of the showroom.
"Though, the accused had tried avoiding being captured on camera, one of them with his face covered with a newspaper was video graphed near the back door," said the cops.
