Shamirpet Businessman Scammed of Rs 19.65 Lakh by Fake Cement Sales Representatives

A 60-year-old businessman from Shamirpet in Hyderabad was scammed out of Rs 19.65 lakh by cybercriminals posing as sales representatives of Birla Cement. The fraud began on April 13 after the victim searched for the company's official call centre number on Google to purchase materials for a construction project.

Hoping to buy 450 bags of cement, the victim contacted a phone number he found online. The call was answered by an individual who identified himself as Akash, claiming to be a sales representative for the Birla Group. Akash quoted a discounted price of Rs 280 per bag, which amounted to a total of Rs 1,26,000 for the 450 bags.

To proceed with the transaction, Akash informed the businessman that he needed to secure a company membership to buy the cement directly at the discounted rate. The fraudster also demanded several payments for what he described as "departmental approvals."

To build credibility and gain the victim's trust, the callers sent forged documents. These included a fake GST registration certificate and a PAN card that purportedly belonged to UltraTech Cement Ltd (Birla Group). After the victim made an initial payment of Rs 5 lakh, the fraudsters also sent him a fabricated certificate of membership.

Over the next two months, the cybercriminals continued to demand more money under multiple pretexts. They requested funds for verification charges, sales department charges, godown department charges, GST, and transport charges. They falsely assured the victim that these payments were mandatory to approve his membership and release the cement supply.

Believing the transactions were legitimate, the victim transferred a total of Rs 19.65 lakh. The fraud was uncovered only when the businessman travelled to the head office of UltraTech Cement Ltd in Mumbai, where he learned he had been cheated.

Following a complaint by the victim, the Malkajgiri cybercrime police registered a case and have launched an official investigation into the scam.