Dhamtari: A retired employee of Bhilai Steel Plant has been duped of Rs 1 crore by cyber fraudsters who lured him with a lucky draw offer of a car worth Rs 15 lakh. The 66-year-old victim is a resident of Irra village in Bhakhara police station area in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh.
The police have registered a case against unidentified fraudsters on the basis of the victim’s complaint. A search has also been launched for the accused.
According to police, the victim, Kamlesh Thakur, after being influenced by a television advertisement for an Ayurvedic firm, ordered medicines from ‘Jeevan Dan Ayurvedic Company,’ based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in 2022.
Just a few days after purchasing the medicine, he received a call on his mobile phone from an unknown number. The caller, identifying himself as a company representative, informed him that he had won a special lottery in which he got a car worth nearly ₹15 lakh.
On receiving the offer, the victim became enthusiastic. The caller first demanded money under the pretext of processing fees and registration charges.
He assured the victim that as soon as all formalities were completed, the car would be delivered directly to his doorstep. Subsequently, the caller continued to demand money on various pretexts like taxes, transport charges, insurance, and clearance fees.
The accused also lured the victim with an alternative offer: if he decided against purchasing the car, the deposited amount would be treated as an investment, yielding a higher rate of interest compared to other banks.
Falling into the trap, the victim continued to transfer money into the bank accounts given by the fraudsters. The fraudsters executed their plan in a calculated manner: first winning the victim’s trust and then making him deposit funds through various UPI IDs and bank accounts. This process continued for three years, spanning from 2022 to 2025. Over this period, the victim was duped of nearly ₹1 crore.
After a prolonged period during which neither the car was delivered nor any benefits were received, the victim grew suspicious. When he tried to contact the accused, he found that the old phone numbers were disconnected. The accused, however, subsequently re-established contact using new numbers. But they began demanding more money, at which point the victim realised he had been completely defrauded.
Following this, Kamlesh Thakur visited Bhakhara Police Station and filed a written complaint detailing the entire incident. Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case against an unidentified accused under different sections—including fraud—and launched an investigation.
City Superintendent of Police, Dhamtari, Abhishek Chaturvedi, said that police are now trying to trace the accused by analysing bank accounts, mobile numbers and digital transaction records.
The Dhamtari Police has appealed to the public not to trust any unknown calls, messages or online offers. People should be vigilant if any monetary payment is requested in connection with offers involving lotteries, prizes, or investments.
Under no circumstances shall the bank details or OTPs be shared with any stranger, the police said.
