A Pune sweet shop’s online contact number was allegedly replaced with a fraudster’s mobile number, allowing cybercrooks to collect advance payments from customers for orders that were never delivered, police said. The fraud affected customers between October 23 and November 6 and came to light after a personal secretary of the shop chain’s owner visited its Bajirao Road branch.
The secretary, who is 37, later lodged a complaint with Vishrambaug police on Friday. The complaint followed interactions with customers who had been approaching the branch to ask about orders they had placed and paid for in advance.
Navnath Jagtap, senior inspector of Vishrambaug police, said establishments commonly publish their locations and contact numbers online so customers can reach them. He said this information can also be changed, creating an opportunity for criminals to redirect calls and orders away from the actual business.
According to the police, the sweet shop had uploaded its landline number online for customers who wanted to place orders. The cybercrooks allegedly replaced that number on the shop’s online profile with their own cellphone number. Customers who found the listing believed they were speaking to the shop and placed orders through the altered contact.
The fraudsters then asked customers to make advance payments. Several customers paid the requested amounts and waited for their orders, but the goods were not delivered. Police said the alleged fraudsters subsequently blocked the customers who contacted them.
The number of affected customers and the total amount collected have not yet been established. Jagtap said the police were investigating the case. The complaint places the focus on an increasingly important but often overlooked part of urban commerce: the accuracy and security of digital information used by customers to locate neighbourhood businesses and contact them.
For small shops, an online listing can function as a public-facing extension of the physical premises. In this case, customers reached the alleged fraudsters because the digital contact information appeared to belong to the store. The incident shows how a change to a business listing can affect transactions beyond the screen, including payments, order fulfilment and customer trust.
The police investigation is expected to establish how the shop’s online contact information was altered, identify the number used by the alleged fraudsters and determine how many customers were affected. Vishrambaug police have not yet disclosed the total loss or announced any arrests.
