Ola electric scooter scam dupes thousands; 20 people arrested
Delhi Police have arrested 20 people from across the country in connection with an elaborate Ola Electric scooter scam. The scammers created a fake website to dupe over 1,000 people looking to purchase the electric vehicles and defrauded them of crores. The funds were taken from them in the name of insurance, down payments, delivery charges, and more.
Why does this story matter?
With the advancement in technology, cybercriminals are finding new ways of duping people of their hard-earned money. Customers are advised to always head to official websites and accounts for making monetary transactions, and read all the fine lines carefully. In the case of this Ola electric scooter fraud, we can only hope that the victims get back their money soon.
What was the modus operandi?
Two members of the gang allegedly behind the scam created a fake Ola Electric website. It was targeted at people looking to buy scooters. The victims would first pay Rs. 499 as a "booking amount" following which they would receive calls from individuals impersonating Ola employees. Later the buyers were asked to pay Rs. 60,000-70,000 as delivery, insurance charges, and so on.
The complainant fell victim to an elaborate ruse
As per the complainant who lodged an FIR with Delhi Police, Rs. 499 was paid for the booking. He also received a confirmation slip. Later, he received an email with finance options, and he paid Rs. 30,000 via Ola Money as a down payment. His sanctioned loan amount was shown to be Rs. 72,000 and was also asked to pay Rs. 13,000 for delivery.
Police have traced 25 bank accounts
The scammers belong to several places across India, including Patna, Bengaluru, and Gurugram. During a raid at their call center in Patna, police found seven laptops, over 60 mobiles, and 114 SIM cards from the accused. The cops also managed to trace 25 bank accounts with transactions amounting to over Rs. 5 crore. The investigation had started on October 8.
