A 19-year-old business management student lost INR 15 lakh after falling victim to an apartment rental scam. The student is the son of a businessman from Kharghar. He studies at a premium college in Vile Parle and was looking for a flat near his college to avoid commuting from Navi Mumbai every day.
During his search for flats, he found a website. From there, he contacted an agent named Deepak Chavan. The agent promised to rent him a flat for a refundable INR 10,000 down payment. The student was sent a QR code to make the initial payment.
After receiving the first payment, the scammer claimed that the transaction was unsuccessful and asked the student to transfer money again. Over the course of multiple transactions, the scammer provided different account details, each time saying the payment had failed.
The student transferred a total of INR 15,84,095 using his father’s money. He hoped to get his father’s money back if the deal did not go through.
Between September 24 and October 13, the scammer continued to contact the student, urging him to send more money with the promise of a refund. When the student finally realised he had been tricked and would not get his money back, he filed a complaint with the Kharghar police.
A case has been registered against the accused under sections 318(2)(4) and 319(2) of the Indian Penal Code for cheating. These sections carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The police have also filed charges under Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act 2000, which addresses punishment for impersonation. The investigation is ongoing.
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