Mumbai: Emmay Entertainment Motion Pictures LLP, a film production company in Vile Parle East was defrauded of Rs 6.75 lakh while placing bulk wine orders for Diwali celebrations. The delivery never arrived despite repeated assurances from the person handling the order, Ajay Kumar, who claimed the vehicle had broken down.

The scam began on October 15 when the company’s admin head, M M Bhavesh, ordered Rs. 9 lakh worth of wine from an online-listed shop. The fraudster had manipulated the shop’s Google listing. The company paid Rs. 4.5 lakh initially and later Rs. 2.25 lakh as a partial advance, but the delivery never came, prompting a complaint with Vile Parle police, who have asked the bank to freeze the accounts involved.

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Mumbai: A leading film content production company based in Vile Parle (East) was defrauded of Rs 6.75 lakh after placing a bulk wine order for Diwali celebrations.

On Oct 15, at 11.30 am, the company's admin head, M M Bhavesh, sourced details of a wine shop online and placed an order worth Rs 9 lakh. The company made 50% (Rs 4.5 lakh) of the payment after “verifying” the GST number. But then the scammer called, insisting that delivery would not occur unless full payment was done.

“When I called on a number showed online for the oldest wine shop in the city to place our order, a person, Ajay Kumar, introduced himself as the manager,” wrote Bhavesh in the complaint. “I placed the order for Rs 9 lakh. I trusted the person when he sent the invoice on my WhatsApp which I thought was genuine and the GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) number real."

A day later, Bhavesh received a call from Kumar, who said the wine shop's general manager wished to speak with him and that full payment was required before delivery. “Initially, Bhavesh asked to cancel the order. Then he asked the person to settle with a certain percentage of the pending payment and the balance on delivery,” said an officer from the Vile Parle police station. “This was agreed upon. So, Bhavesh transferred Rs 2.25 lakh more (over the Rs 4.5 lakh paid initially). But the delivery never took place.”

The company approached the police when the order was not delivered by 8.30 pm on Oct 16. They said Kumar told them the delivery vehicle broke down midway.

The police officer said the scammer had manipulated the wine shop’s Google Business Profile listing by adding his own details to it. “We have asked the bank concerned to freeze the accounts to which the complainant transferred money,” he said. “The police have repeatedly asked people to follow guidelines and make payments after a delivery is made, as such fraud was rampant in the past.”