Complaint Details

Status	:	Un-Resolved
Complaint No	:	0061098/2016
Category	:	Consumer Goods
Date	:	24-04-2016
Subject Line	:	E-Commerce related Fraud
Complainant	:	Rajiv Ramakrishnan
Address	:	B35, 3/1 Jayanti Apts, 13th cross Malleswaram
Complainee	:	Electronics and Electricals
Address	:	413B Ground Floor Opp Imperial Cinema, Lamington Rd, Girgaon

Complaint Details
My name is Rajiv Ramakrishnan, residing in Malleswaram Bangalore - 560003. I am sending these details to report to you about me being a victim to an E-Commerce related fraud. Please see the details I have gathered and can provide call recordings to identify the culprits and help me recover the money lost.

On 19 Apr2016, when I called the Bangalore Cyber Police number (080-22094498) in Bangalore I was informed it was a holiday (due to Mahaveer Jayanti) and that I should contact on 20 Apr 2016. On 20 Apr 2016 when I called (080-22094498) I was given 2 other numbers (080-22094564, 080-22094638) and both went unanswered and hence as a last resort sent emails to the Cyber crime police email id cybercrimeps@ksp.gov.in and copied in the commissioner compolbcp@ksp.gov.in to complaint. Unfortunately, I do not seem to have received any acknowledgement as well from them on the email with details.

Following are the sequence of Events:

Date/Time Event
16 Apr 2016 around 10:00am
• Saw an Advert on Quickr app - AD ID: 2605710103
• Mobile Number listed as 7259325963 and called the same
• A Lady by the name Samantha answered the call. She spoke in English and had an accent which sounded like African and spoke softly.
• Asked about the Quick ad for XBOX product worth Rs. 23000 listed on the App. She mentioned that it is available and will be shipped directly.
• Asked about the payment terms and she mentioned that Rs.5200 is to be paid in advance and balance to be paid upon receiving the product.
• Asked her if she had “Kinect” accessory along and she mentioned that the price would be Rs.26000 with Kinect. I said I was ok as the payment terms were the same.
• Told her to send the Account details where the initial deposit is to be shared.
• She shared the account details on my mobile number - 8050099006 with the following details:
Name: Samantha, Acc/No. 20226786101, IFSC Code SBIN0010365, Branch: Kasturi Nagar. Bank Name: State Bank of India
• Upon receiving the account details questioned her why she gave personal account and she only responded stating that it is hers.
• Told her that I want to see the product and visit her shop, to which she replied in sms stating that the shop address is:
Electronics and Electricals #413B Ground Floor Opp Imperial Cinema, Lamington Rd, Girgaon, Mumbai 400004
• After questioning about the same – she replied it will be shipped from there as she is in Mumbai
• Asked her to send the pictures of the XBOX Product with Manufacturing/Import date. She sent few photos to my email address from the email address: allelectronicshop23@gmail.com
• However, despite sending multiple photos the manufacturing/import date picture was never shared. She seemed to be very genuine and responded to emails promptly.
• I confirmed the products that I will receive and - she responded stating that I would get an XBOX One with Kinect, 2 controllers and 3 games with a total of Rs.26000 as bill.
• I decided to wait and think whether to go along and make the purchase. However, the manner in which the Lady was responding to my emails and sms seemed genuine.
18 Apr 2016 at around 4:30pm
• Though all things confirmed by the lady seemed very genuine, I made the initial transfer of Rs. 5200 to the SBI account through IMPS from my Yes Bank account and asked her to confirm receipt.
• I even sent her a screenshot with the initial payment and the delivery address details.
• She confirmed receipt of the payment and sent me a so called “bill” (though it was a strange looking bill) on my email. Acknowledged the receipt of the same
19 Apr 2016 at around 10:00am
• Received a call (on my other mobile no.9742716796) from a number: 7899539460. Some guy again with a strange African like accent called me stating that he is calling from the Bangalore Airport. He wanted me to Transfer an Amount to Samantha’s account of Rs.12800 towards domestic custom clearance to release the XBOX product and once he clears he will come home and deliver the product and collect the balance amount.
• I told him that this is strange and need to speak to the Lady (Samantha) and get back to him
• I called Samantha and asked her if she was aware of this person and she told ‘yes’. He was a courier agent and as mentioned in the “Bill” she had sent, “Domestic or Custom clearance charges to be borne by the customer”.
• Since the network connectivity was bad, I asked her to call on my landline number. However, when she called on Landline number, it seemed that her connectivity was bad and she called me from another number – 8892552171
• In the meanwhile, I had got to know that the “Agent’s” name was “Rajesh”. He called my landline number and asked me if I had made the payment as he had other work to do as well.
• I asked Rajesh, if he was doing this only for my parcel, he said “No” and that he had other customers as well. I told him that he can make the payment himself and release the product and I will give him the amount once I get the Product. He said he cannot do that.
• I was not convinced and called Samanth again to tell her that the transaction seemed fishy and I wanted a refund. She responded on sms stating that refund not possible as the Product had already arrived at the airport and required the clearance. She sms’ed stating that if I wanted to I could go to the airport along with a passport to meet this guy and get the products cleared but have to make a payment of Rs.12800.
• I told her that I was ready to go to the airport and left for the airport with my passport.
19 Apr 2016 around 1:00pm
• I called this so called “Rajesh” up on the number 7899539460 and asked him where he was. He said he was waiting in the Departure hall “Waiting lounge”. I asked him to come down and he told I have to buy an “Airline ticket” to come in and meet as he was planning to take a flight out. The connection was intermittently bad and I told him that this whole thing is very very suspicious. He replied that I don’t have to believe him but that is what he can do to bring me the product.
• After a lot of thinking and again talking to Samantha (waiting outside the Departure terminal of KGIA, I learnt that he will come out after clearing the products and hand it over to me. SO I decided to transfer Rs.12800 to Samantha’s SBI account and stood there waiting for another 45 minutes chasing about the status.
19 Apr 2016 around 3:00pm
• “Rajesh” calls me on my mobile and tells me that there is a problem and that the “Shift” of the custom officers got changed and they demanded another Rs.10000 to clear the package. Not sure clearly what he said but mentioned “Packaging charges”. By now I was very very frustrated and angry with this guy and told him, clear it yourself and come out. I shall handover the balance. “Rajesh” said that transfer Rs.10000 to Samantha’s account, hw will clear the product in 8 mins and then hand back Rs.2000 as it was part of the deal for the product.
• I called up Samantha and she said she will check and call me back. After a few mins she called me back and mentioned that it was my fault and that due to my delay in transferring, the new shift custom officers are asking more money to clear.
• I was extremely irritated and also wanted to get to work so I decided to trust these imposters again and transferred Rs.10000 to the SBI account.
• Got a confirmation from Samantha and she called me to tell that he was on his way out from the Arrival terminal. This was around 3:30pm
• At around 3:45pm I get an sms from this “Rajesh” stating they are asking another Rs.15000.
• That is when I decided that I have been completely duped and left from the airport to my office.
• I was getting repeated calls from “Rajesh” which I disconnected and then once I picked up and told him “Do whatever you want, I am going to the Police”
I request your assistance in catching these culprits and recovering my hard-earned money. I admit I continued having trust in these “imposters” and ended up risking the amount. I just want to ensure that these culprits are nabbed, my money recovered and save others from being duped this way.
Please let me know if you require the audio call recording of the various conversations with these imposters. I am attaching the Bill, SMS and EMAIL conversations I have had with these people (I do not know if it is their real names, shop details or have any proof of their Identity). I also have saved phone conversations I have had with these people.

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