A 29-year-old man in Rajasthan's Churu district was allegedly cheated of ₹1.73 lakh after a cyber fraudster posed as an L&T manager and promised to provide diesel at a price lower than the market rate. The accused allegedly claimed that an L&T project was underway near Dokwa and that surplus diesel was available, using this cover story to build trust before extracting money in stages.
How the Scam Began
The victim, Satpal Singh, a resident of Dhana Patta Rajpura village, received a call from an unknown number. According to the complaint, the caller introduced himself as 'Satya' and claimed to be a manager with L&T. He told Satpal that company work was underway near Dokwa and that surplus diesel was available there, offering to arrange it at a price significantly lower than the prevailing market rate.
The promise of cheaper diesel reportedly convinced Satpal to keep communicating with the caller. The alleged manager told him that a commission had to be deposited before the diesel could be supplied. Trusting the offer, Satpal transferred ₹80,000 through PhonePe to a bank account provided by the caller. But instead of arranging delivery, the accused allegedly gave additional reasons for seeking more money and pushed the victim to make further payments.
Three Payments, ₹1.73 Lakh Gone
Satpal subsequently made two more transfers — ₹50,000 in the second transaction and ₹43,000 in the third, sent to different bank accounts specified by the accused. With these three payments combined, the total amount transferred reached ₹1.73 lakh. After making the payments, Satpal contacted the alleged manager to ask about the diesel delivery, but the response he received was reportedly nothing like what he'd expected.
The accused allegedly stopped answering the victim's calls entirely. Satpal reportedly tried several times to reach him but received no response, before the caller eventually blocked his mobile number. It was only then that the victim realised the promise of cheap diesel had allegedly been used as a pretext to defraud him.
Police Now Tracing the Money Trail
After discovering the fraud, Satpal contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and reported the incident. Following his complaint, the Churu cyber police station registered a case and began investigating. Police are now examining the mobile number used by the accused, the bank accounts into which the money was transferred, and the broader digital transaction trail to establish exactly where the funds eventually went. This kind of careful account-by-account reconstruction reflects the same discipline that good bookkeeping services in India are built around — systematically tracing where every rupee moved, so that investigators can build a complete, accurate financial picture rather than working off scattered, incomplete records.
Investigators are also trying to determine whether this alleged fraud was carried out by an individual or was part of a larger cybercrime network. The movement of the ₹1.73 lakh will be examined through banking records, and if the money was subsequently transferred through multiple accounts, police may investigate those account holders to determine whether they were knowingly involved or whether their accounts were simply used as part of the fraud without their knowledge.
A False Corporate Identity Used to Build Trust
The alleged use of a false professional identity is another important aspect of this investigation. By presenting himself as an L&T manager, the accused allegedly created an impression of legitimacy, using the company's name and an ongoing project to convince the victim the offer was genuine. Investigators may examine how the accused obtained information about the company and whether similar offers were made to other people, potentially pointing to a broader pattern of impersonation fraud.
A Broader Warning About Too-Good-to-Be-True Offers
This case also highlights the genuine risks associated with unsolicited offers involving fuel, business supplies, and other goods at unusually low prices. Fraudsters often use the names of established companies or ongoing projects to make their claims appear credible, persuading victims to make advance payments under the guise of commission, security deposits, transportation, or other processing charges.
Police have advised people to independently verify any such offer before transferring money. Anyone claiming to represent a company should be verified through the company's official contact channels, rather than relying on a phone number supplied by the caller themselves. Payments to personal or unfamiliar bank accounts should also be avoided unless the transaction has been independently verified through legitimate means.
Churu cyber police are currently examining digital evidence and banking records to identify the person behind the alleged fraud and trace the stolen funds. Further action will be taken based on the evidence gathered during the ongoing investigation.
FAQs
Q1. How did the fraudster convince the victim to send money?
The accused posed as an L&T manager, claiming surplus diesel was available from a nearby company project at below-market rates, and asked for money in the name of commission before arranging delivery.
Q2. How much money did the victim lose in total?
Satpal Singh transferred a total of ₹1.73 lakh across three separate transactions of ₹80,000, ₹50,000, and ₹43,000 to different bank accounts.
Q3. What should people do if they receive similar unsolicited business offers?
Police advise independently verifying any such offer through the company's official contact channels, and avoiding payments to personal or unfamiliar bank accounts unless the transaction is verified.