Hyderabad woman loses Rs. 1.3L in furniture ad scam on Quikr
Hyderabad: A 44-year-old homemaker from Hyderabad has fallen victim to a cyber fraud after responding to a furniture advertisement on the social media platform Quikr. The woman lost a total of ₹1,30,209 in a scam carried out by fraudsters impersonating Army personnel.
According to the victim, she came across the ad on May 12 and contacted the seller using the phone numbers provided - 8955645898 and 8905644182. The man on the call introduced himself as an Army officer and assured her that the furniture was available. He asked her to pay a 20% advance, following which she transferred ₹5,000.
The fraudster later claimed he was also selling a laptop and convinced the woman to pay another ₹9,000. Over the next few days, he continued to demand additional payments under various pretexts, including a delivery charge, GST, and other refundable fees.
On May 18, the victim was given a new contact number, 8955677394, and asked to make further payments. Trusting the impersonator, she transferred sums of ₹14,500, ₹1,400, ₹500, and finally ₹48,000, as instructed. It was only after the repeated demands and no delivery that the woman realized she had been deceived. In total, she lost ₹1,30,209 to the scam.
Public Advisory:
Authorities are urging the public to be cautious of scams involving fraudsters posing as Army or Defense personnel on classified platforms.
Common warning signs include:
- Demands for advance payments.
- Claims of urgency or limited-time offers.
- Requests for multiple payments under different reasons.
- Refusal to meet in person or show the product physically.
- Sharing of fake Army IDs or documents to build trust.Safety Tips:
- Always verify the seller’s identity and inspect goods before making payments.
- Opt for cash-on-delivery wherever possible.
- Do not share personal or financial information with unknown individuals.
- Collect all possible evidence like chat history, payment receipts, contact details.
- Report any such incidents immediately at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
- For assistance, you can also contact 8712665171 via call or WhatsApp.