HP NEWS SERVICE
Shillong, Jul 2: Following several cases of people getting duped on OLX, an online platform for buying and selling services and goods, police today informed people on the tactics being used by scammers and cautioned against falling into such traps.
In a statement issued today, the East Khasi Hills district police said that a lot of people have been duped by scammers posing as sellers on OLX who have attached genuine-looking documents like identity proof belonging to the paramilitary forces, receipts from courier companies, etc in order to make the customers fall in their trap.
“The scammers’ contact numbers go offline once the amount has been transferred by gullible customers,” police said.
Police also advised that before any money is to be transferred, the buyers should meet the sellers in person and not to make inter-state transactions.
“In case of any such scamming, the general public are requested to approach the nearest Police Station/Police Beat House/Police Out-Post or Cyber Assistance Cell, CID, Meghalaya, Shillong,” the statement said.
Several cases of duping on OLX have been reported to police in the recent past.
Luthash Ch Sangma has lodged a complaint that on June 22, following an advertisement on OLX.com regarding sale of one Maruti-800 car, he contacted the phone number provided in the advertisement.
A person identified himself as one Sandeep Kumar, CRPF cadet of Fancy Bazar, Guwahati, Assam, asked Sangma to deposit Rs 50,000 and Rs 15,000 towards the cost and delivery charge of the car, respectively.
Later, Sangma deposited Rs 3,000 towards the delivery charge and also Rs 11,000 as a fine for late payment. However, the vehicle was not delivered to him.
In another case, Augustine Marbaniang lodged a complaint that on June 27, he bought one vehicle valued around Rs 1,22,559 from one Sahir Kumar who impersonated himself as an Indian Army personnel through OLX website. Later, Marbaniang realised that he had been cheated, and till date the vehicle has not been delivered.
A woman S Nongrum of Umlangpur village in Khanapara area of Ri-Bhoi district has also lodged a complaint to police that in a deal to purchase one mobile phone through OLX, she transferred certain amount of money through PayTM in the account of one Sirendra Singh, but she did not receive the mobile phone till date. She also stated that her EPIC which was sent through WhatsApp, as instructed earlier was also misused.
S Nongdhar lodged a complaint that on March 18, following an advertisement in OLX.com for sale of one Maruti Alto-800 (ML-05K-7887), he contacted the owner Manjeet Singh of Guwahati, Assam (As per ID shown).
Nongdhar was asked to deposit Rs 7,000, which was deposited to the PayTM account in the name of one Rupendra Kumar. Further, on being asked, Nongdhar deposited money on several occasions amounting to Rs 75,000. Later, he realised that he was cheated, as the vehicle was not delivered.
Syndarmai Pariat lodged a complaint that May 17, following an advertisement in OLX for sale of one motorcycle (ML-05R-5700), he contacted the mobile number provided in the advertisement, where a person who claimed to be an Army personnel posted in Manipur asked him to transfer Rs. 1,50,950. However, the motorcycle has not been delivered till date.
On June 2, Hamarbiang Bortiew lodged a complaint that following an advertisement in OLX regarding selling of one Maruti 800 (ML-05F-2909), he contacted the owner Mebrinet who claimed to be a CISF personnel stationed at Imphal, Manipur for purchasing the same and also transferred Rs 1,19,233 and Rs 43,550 on two occasions, via UPI. Later, Bortiew realised that he had been cheated.
