Dharmavaram: Over 100 people from Tadimarri and Battalapalli mandals fell victim to a fraudster who duped them on the pretext of setting up a garment factory.
The fraudster, a resident of Madakasira, had promised lucrative returns and partnerships to the victims. He lured residents of Pattrapalli village in Tadimarri mandal by claiming that he needed tractors to set up the factory and promised Rs 40,000 per month per tractor as rent. He asked the tractor owners to pay Rs 12,500 upfront to facilitate the industry’s setup. Several unsuspecting individuals transferred the money online, only to find that the accused's phone was switched off after a few days. Reports suggest that over 100 victims from Tadimarri and Battalapalli Mandals fell into the trap, with each individual losing between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. Among them Bharat and Sanjeeva Reddy from Tadimarri lost Rs 1 lakh each while Ramesh from Battalapalli was duped of Rs 2 lakh.
In order to avoid suspicion, the fraudster did not use his own mobile number for transactions. Instead, he made the victims transfer the money via PhonePe to accounts linked to his acquaintances. Some victims, fearing social stigma, remained silent, which suggests that the actual number of people affected by the scam could be even higher. In order to appear genuine, the fraudster made bogus land purchase agreements. As part of his plan, he signed a deal to buy 25 acres of land in Pattrapalli at Rs 2.20 lakh per acre and showed that he had paid an an advance of Rs 10,000 per acre to 22 farmers. He then negotiated 13 acres in Apracheruvu in Battalapalli mandal, for Rs 22 lahks and agreed to buy 29 acres of land near Kakatiya English Medium School, Dharmavaram by offering Rs. 10,000 per acre as advance. By showing the agreements, he convinced the victims of his legitimacy before disappearing without a trace.
Investigators suspect that the accused was involved in a similar scam worth Rs 2.5 crore in Penukonda in 2021 after which a case was registered against him at Kia police station. Dharmavaram DSP said the police will investigate the matter and nab the accused soon. "People must remain vigilant against such scams, especially those promising industries, easy loans, or high rental payments" he said.
