Bengaluru police arrest Gujarat based criminals for defrauding Meesho of Rs 5.5 crore

Bengaluru police arrested three Gujarat-based fraudsters for defrauding Meesho of ₹5.5 crore by creating a fake company, Om Sai Passion. They exploited the platform with bogus orders and false refund claims. The scam ran from January to July 2024. Investigation continues.

Bengaluru: In a major cybercrime bust, Bengaluru police have arrested three individuals from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding Meesho, an online marketplace, of Rs 5.5 crore over seven months. The fraudsters, operating under the name "Om Sai Passion" in Surat, conspired to exploit Meesho's platform using fake customer profiles and false claims.  

The accused created a fake company, Om Sai Passion, and collaborated with third-party agents to orchestrate a complex fraud. They registered bogus customer accounts and placed an average of 2,000 to 2,500 daily orders on Meesho. The products, falsely booked under random customer names and addresses, were returned to their Surat-based warehouse under the guise of genuine returns. 

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To further deceive Meesho, the fraudsters tampered with the returned parcels and recorded videos claiming the items were replaced or damaged. Using these fabricated videos, they demanded refunds or reimbursements from Meesho. The company, unaware of the scam, transferred the claimed amounts to the accused’s bank accounts.  

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Meesho’s nodal officer discovered the fraud spanning from January 2024 to July 2024 and filed a complaint with the Whitefield Cyber Crime Police Station in Bengaluru. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the same accused were involved in a similar case registered in 2023.

The Bengaluru police arrested the three fraudsters after tracing their activities to Surat. Authorities are currently investigating the extent of their operations and whether more people were involved. Efforts are underway to recover the defrauded amount.