Army Jawan Lured With 30% Discount On Car Loses ₹19 Lakh. Here's What Happened Next
Serial fraudster Om Prakash Sawaria, who duped several people across cities, including an army jawan, has been arrested in Delhi.
A cybercrime team from South-West Delhi has arrested Om Prakash Sawaria, a notorious fraudster who allegedly scammed an Army jawan out of ₹19 lakh by promising a car, KIA Seltos, at a 30% discount. Known for his calculated methods and frequent identity changes, Sawaria had successfully evaded authorities multiple times in the past.
Modus Operandi: Trust, Dupe, Disappear
According to the fraud victim, the scam began through a website, where he was attracted to an offer to purchase a KIA Seltos for 30% less than the market price. To gain his trust, the fraudster even shared a copy of a post-dated cheque via WhatsApp.
Convinced of the deal's legitimacy, the jawan transferred ₹19 lakh into a bank account provided by Sawaria. After that, there was no car, no contact, and the website vanished! Sawaria turned off his phone,e and the address he had provided turned out to be fake.
Company Registered Under Wife, Sister's Name
Investigation revealed that the bank account belonged to a bogus firm named Foxbitdeals Sales and Marketing Pvt. Ltd, listed under the names of Sawaria's wife and sister. The company was created only to facilitate fraudulent activities. Sawaria would change his hideout after each scam to dodge the police.
Sawaria admitted to deliberately targeting Army personnel. He knew that frequent transfers and the demands of military service often prevented victims from pursuing legal action.
Sawaria's Frauds Across Cities
Sawaria has a long criminal record, with at least nine cases registered against him in Delhi, Jaipur, Gurgaon, and Kolkata under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 468, 471 (forgery), and 120B (criminal conspiracy). He is also wanted in two cheque bounce cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Despite his attempts to stay under the radar by frequently changing locations and identities, the cyber team didn't back down. Through sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering, police traced him to the Nangloi area. Under the supervision of SHO Pravesh Kaushik and a four-member team led by SIs Chandrashekhar and Amit Kumar, Sawaria was arrested near Laxmi Narayan Mandir.
ACP Vijay Kumar said the arrest was a major breakthrough in the fight against cyber fraud and affirmed that such criminals will face strict legal action. The police are working to trace other victims of Sawaria.
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