Maize deal turns sour, bizwoman duped of Rs 9.48L

Ahmedabad: A Bopal-based woman engaged in import-export business was allegedly duped of Rs 9.48 lakh in an online trade fraud after fraudsters promised to supply 70 tonnes of maize but vanished after receiving advance payments.According to an FIR lodged with Bopal police by complainant Shweta Thakar, 45, she was searching for maize suppliers in March after securing an order for 70 tonnes of the commodity.Police said Thakar contacted an employee, Dhruv Pathak, for procurement assistance. Pathak allegedly introduced her to a supplier operating under the name “Maa Vaishno Enterprises” and claimed it was a trusted business contact.The accused, identified as Manoj Kumar and Punit Kumar, convinced the complainant that advance payment was required before dispatching the consignment. The total deal value was fixed at Rs 12.64 lakh, with an initial demand for 40% advance payment.Believing the transaction to be genuine, Thakar transferred Rs 5 lakh through NEFT to a bank account shared by the accused on March 30. Police said the accused later insisted that 75% payment was mandatory before dispatch and allegedly sent revised invoices mentioning quality assurance conditions for the maize consignment.Following this, the complainant transferred another Rs 4.48 lakh in multiple transactions, taking the total amount paid to Rs 9.48 lakh.However, the consignment never arrived on the promised date of April 2. When Thakar attempted to contact the accused, all the phones were found switched off, police said.Investigators added that the accused later attempted to obtain another Rs 1.32 lakh through personal bank accounts, which raised suspicion. Thakar subsequently approached the cybercrime helpline before filing an FIR with Bopal police.