Agricultural machinery dealer duped of lakhs by ‘UK firm’

An agricultural machinery dealer from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana was duped of about Rs 12 lakh by a firm, reportedly based in UK, on the pretext of a business deal. Later, he was threatened by a man who claimed to be a Delhi police crime branch constable to pay money or get implicated in a money laundering case.

While talking to the Millennium Post over phone, victim Pradeep Grawal said, ‘I received an email on 22 February from Sandra Carr who claimed to be procurement officer of the firm. She offered me a good business deal related to Agnelica Seeds.’

‘I met a woman named Priya Sharma who gave me a sample of 10 packets of seeds. Later, I paid Rs 6.6 lakh to her at Terminal -3 of IGI Airport for another 100 packets. A few minutes later, she informed me that her collegue named Davis has been arrested by the police on money laundering charges. At the same time I received a call from a person named Subhash, who claimed to be a Delhi police crime branch constable. He threatened me with implication into the same case or pay Rs 4.26 lakh,’ said Grawal.

Later, when I asked Subhash to release Davis, he informed me that he had handed over Davis to British embassy. When I again contacted Davis, he informed me that my money had been impounded by the embassy and I can get it back from Reserve Bank of India. After some time I received an email from a woman who claimed to be the manager of RBI exchange department. She informed that there is a cheque for me worth $2.20 lakh and to claim this amount I need pay Rs 1.15 lakh as a charge which I did. Later they demanded more money and I realised that I was being cheated,’ said Grawal.