Surat man duped of ₹31 lakh in fake Tata Zudio franchise scam

Surat: A 30-year-old resident of Sai Ashish Society in Rander has fallen victim to an elaborate online fraud involving a fake Tata Zudio franchise, losing ₹31 lakh in the process.

According to police, Anurag Rajkumar Hirani, who owns commercial shops in Chikhli, Navsari, had planned to lease them out to Tata Zudio as franchise outlets. On March 22, while searching for the company’s official contact, he came across an email ID claiming to be Zudio’s helpline. Believing it to be genuine, he sent a proposal to lease his shops for a franchise.

A few days later, he received a response expressing interest in taking his shops on lease for a Zudio franchise. Over the next several days, he was sent multiple letters purportedly from the company, and the fraudsters demanded various payments — including registration fees, NOC charges, and agreement-related costs.

Trusting the correspondence, Hirani transferred around ₹31 lakh in multiple installments. However, when no franchise agreement materialized, he suspected foul play and approached the Surat Cybercrime Cell.

Following an investigation, the cyber cell arrested two individuals in connection with the case. Further legal proceedings are underway, police said.