Delhi: Transporter duped of Rs 50,000 in fake truck hiring fraud, one held

New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) A 40-year-old man was arrested for allegedly scamming a transporter out of Rs 50,000 under the pretence of hiring a truck for cargo movement in outer north Delhi, an official said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Hisar in Haryana, was apprehended following an investigation into a complaint filed by a woman transporter on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), he added.

"The complainant, Karuna Bansal, who runs Hindustan Cargo Carrier from Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, alleged that she was cheated of Rs 50,000 by a man impersonating a truck owner named Sunil Rao," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami said.

The accused provided fake vehicle details and a driver's contact number, convincing the complainant to transfer the money through an online payment application. The funds were initially deposited into a bank account in Wardha, Maharashtra, and later transferred to another account in Hisar, Haryana, the DCP said.

A case was registered, and police conducted raids in Hisar, where they located Kumar. He was first issued a notice to join the investigation, but based on the evidence collected, he was subsequently arrested, according to the officer.

The police claimed that Kumar impersonated truck owners, shared false truck and driver information, and induced transporters to transfer advance payments. The funds were transferred to multiple accounts and withdrawn through ATMs to erase any trace of the transactions.

Two mobile phones, a SIM card used to contact the complainant, and a debit card utilised for ATM withdrawals were recovered from his possession, officials noted.

Kumar, a graduate who also holds a Junior Basic Training (JBT) qualification, maintained the bank account that received the fraudulent transactions. Further investigations into the matter are ongoing, the police stated. PTI SSJ MPL MPL