New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) A man was apprehended for allegedly duping a Delhi woman by impersonating a representative of an online clothing brand on social media, an official said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Hizbul Bari (30), had been operating fake business profiles on social media platforms to defraud people through small-value scams, typically below Rs 15,000, assuming victims would be less likely to report such losses.
“The complainant, Kausar Jahan, came across a social media account falsely claiming to represent a popular women’s fashion brand. Engaging with an individual posing as an employee, she was convinced to place an online order worth Rs 11,500 and transferred the amount,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania said.
However, no items were delivered, and her attempts to contact the seller went unanswered, he added.
Realising she had been scammed, Jahan registered a case on May 23.
Using technical surveillance, analysis of digital transactions, and intelligence gathering, the team tracked the origin of the fraudulent activity in Assam.
“On May 24, the police team conducted a raid in Dakshingaon village under Dispur Police Station with the help of local authorities and arrested the accused,” the DCP said.
The police recovered a mobile phone used to operate the fake social media account and communicate with victims. Digital evidence from the device included chats with multiple victims and access to the fraudulent account.
Preliminary findings indicate there may be at least four to five more of his victims in Delhi alone.
Bari was previously employed at a retail store and left the job six months ago.
Further investigation is underway, the police said.