Sundargarh man duped of Rs 60,300 while booking room in Panthaniwas | Bhubaneswar News
Rourkela: A man from Rajgangpur in Sundargarh district was duped of Rs 60,300 while booking a room in Panthaniwas. Rajgangpur police have registered a case in this regard and are investigating the matter.
Amit Majhi (30), a resident of Bantupada under Rajgangpur police station limits, received a message on his WhatsApp number from an unknown number on March 5, stating that if a room that costs Rs 3,500 was booked in Panthaniwas of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation in Puri, a 20% discount would be given. Since Amit was planning to go to Puri, he dialled the number and told the man on the other side that he wanted to book a room. After deducting the 20% discount, he paid Rs 2,800 from his account and wanted to confirm if the room was booked for him. However, the man on the other side told Amit that he had to pay Rs 3,500, after which he would avail of the 20% discount and get back his Rs 700 discounted amount, along with the Rs 2,800 he transferred earlier. Amit accordingly transferred Rs 3,500 to their account.
In the meantime, Amit received a bill confirming that a room was booked in Panthaniwas. Later, he received a call from the same number and the man asked to click on the link that he had sent to get back his money. But when Amit clicked on the link, Rs 54,000 was debited from his account immediately. Amit called and asked why so much money was debited from his account and demanded its return. The man said that he would get back his money when the server started functioning. Amit later received another call and the caller said they were unable to return his money to his account since the server was down.
Amit waited for three days to get his money back and when he did not receive it, he realised he was duped. He dialled the number again but received no response. On Saturday, Amit lodged an FIR at Rajgangpur police station.
“We have written to the bank to provide the statement of the complainant and have also asked for the call record details,” M R Pradhan, inspector in-charge of Rajgangpur police station, said.
Amit Majhi (30), a resident of Bantupada under Rajgangpur police station limits, received a message on his WhatsApp number from an unknown number on March 5, stating that if a room that costs Rs 3,500 was booked in Panthaniwas of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation in Puri, a 20% discount would be given. Since Amit was planning to go to Puri, he dialled the number and told the man on the other side that he wanted to book a room. After deducting the 20% discount, he paid Rs 2,800 from his account and wanted to confirm if the room was booked for him. However, the man on the other side told Amit that he had to pay Rs 3,500, after which he would avail of the 20% discount and get back his Rs 700 discounted amount, along with the Rs 2,800 he transferred earlier. Amit accordingly transferred Rs 3,500 to their account.
In the meantime, Amit received a bill confirming that a room was booked in Panthaniwas. Later, he received a call from the same number and the man asked to click on the link that he had sent to get back his money. But when Amit clicked on the link, Rs 54,000 was debited from his account immediately. Amit called and asked why so much money was debited from his account and demanded its return. The man said that he would get back his money when the server started functioning. Amit later received another call and the caller said they were unable to return his money to his account since the server was down.
Amit waited for three days to get his money back and when he did not receive it, he realised he was duped. He dialled the number again but received no response. On Saturday, Amit lodged an FIR at Rajgangpur police station.
“We have written to the bank to provide the statement of the complainant and have also asked for the call record details,” M R Pradhan, inspector in-charge of Rajgangpur police station, said.
