Gang 'dupes' Flipkart of Rs. 1.6cr by fraudulently claiming refunds
What's the story
Bengaluru-based e-commerce giant Flipkart has lodged a complaint with the cyber police, alleging a gang had cheated them of more than Rs. 1.6cr over two years. The gang mostly ordered high-end stuff like smartphones ad DSLR cameras, it said, and asked for refunds claiming they have received mud and stones in the order. They took advantage of Flipkart's 'most customer-friendly refund-policy', said the company.
Modus operandi
Wrong delivery address was given all the time, said Flipkart
The complaint that was lodged on Tuesday focused on cases between January 1, 2016 to November 3, 2017. Elaborating on the modus operandi, Flipkart said the gang presumably opened bank-accounts using random people's identities and made payments through net-banking. At the time of delivery, the 'customers' always received it mid-way, since the 'delivery address' was always given wrong.
Details
E-mailed pictures as proof, threatened legal cases to 'expose' Flipkart
They then removed the real product from the package and filled it with stones and mud. Following that, they demanded refunds, always within the mentioned stipulated time, e-mailing pictures as a proof to their claim. Additionally, they threatened legal cases to 'expose' Flipkart if refunds weren't given. Initially, the company didn't sense anything fishy and "paid them without proper verification," said cops.
Cops said
The gang took money for over 2,000 products, duping Flipkart
A recent audit by the company revealed the shocking data, showing certain bank-accounts received money on multiple occasions. This way, the gang got refunds for over 2,000 products. It might be a deliberate ploy to defame Flipkart, said cops. In their complaint, Flipkart didn't mention any 'vulnerable' category, but cybercrime police suspect it might be electronics, since those are usually expensive.
Quote
'We take such violations very seriously and initiate strict action'
"We've a zero-tolerance policy on all incidents of fraud, whatever be its source of origin-sellers, customers or internal. We take such violations very seriously and initiate strict action against the concerned people or entity as per applicable laws of the land," said a Flipkart spokesperson.