Vadodara Woman Scammed of ₹5.36 Lakh by Fraudsters Posing as Franchise Agents

A fraud involving a fake claim of employment at Hindustan Unilever led to a scam where con artists deceived a woman from Vadodara into paying 5.36 lakh rupees for franchise distribution and marketing. The complainant arrived at the company’s Mumbai office but found no trace of the accused, prompting her to file a complaint with the Vadodara Cyber Crime Police Station.

The Entire Case

A 31-year-old woman involved in the garment business in Vadodara reported to the Vadodara Cyber Crime Police that she was seeking partnerships with various companies to advance her business. On March 27, she sent an email to Levercare.customer@unilever.com expressing interest in marketing and distribution opportunities with Hindustan Unilever. On April 2, her husband received a call from an unknown number, where the caller claimed to be from Hindustan Unilever’s customer care and spoke in Hindi.

Demand for Registration Fee of 35,000 Rupees

The caller requested the details mentioned in the email, including investment, space, and rent information, which were provided. On April 5, another call came to her husband’s mobile, stating that the registration fee would be 35,000 rupees. The person, identifying himself as Aman Gupta, contacted her husband and sent a document purportedly from Hindustan Unilever’s franchise department via email from support@openhullfranchise2024online.co.in. The required details were sent, and 35,000 rupees were transferred online. Following this, her husband transferred 48,500 rupees for licensing, and another 50,000 rupees were paid later. Raj Malhotra then contacted her for follow-ups on the payments.

Additional Payment of 2,58,000 Rupees Requested

On April 18, Aman Gupta and Raj Malhotra called and asked for 144,500 rupees for an agreement, which was paid. The next day, they requested an additional 2,58,000 rupees for a product purchase totaling 5 lakh rupees, which was also paid online. The woman later visited Hindustan Unilever’s Mumbai address on April 20, after finding it on Google, but Aman Gupta was not present. The security staff informed her that no one by that name worked there, revealing that she had been a victim of cyber fraud. She then filed a complaint on the National Portal.

Fraudulent Scheme Details

From March 27 to April 20, the scammers orchestrated a pre-planned fraud by creating a false identity and using electronic means to deceive her into paying a total of 5,36,000 rupees for franchise distribution and marketing with Hindustan Unilever. A complaint has been lodged with the Vadodara Cyber Crime Police Station, who have initiated a search for the accused.