Rajkot: A 19-year-old entrepreneur from Rajkot has filed a complaint with the City Cyber Crime police after allegedly being cheated of Rs 29 lakh by fraudsters posing as representatives of a leading apparel brand and offering a fake franchise opportunity.

According to the complaint, Hitarth Amipara, a resident of Gitanagar who runs a metal parts manufacturing unit in Metoda GIDC, searched online in April for a franchise of SNITCH Apparels Private Limited and submitted an application through what appeared to be the company’s official website.

Police said he was soon contacted by a person claiming to be the brand’s franchise manager, who shared official-looking documents and guided him through a seemingly legitimate onboarding process. After informing him that his proposed outlet location had been approved, the accused allegedly collected payments towards a token amount, NOC charges, security deposit and administrative fees.

Believing the offer to be genuine, Amipara transferred Rs 29 lakh through multiple RTGS transactions. The fraudsters also sent him an appointment letter inviting him to visit the company’s purported head office in Bengaluru.

The scam came to light when the accused allegedly demanded an additional Rs 21 lakh for store fit-out expenses. Suspecting foul play, Amipara refused to pay and sought a refund. Though he was assured the money would be returned within 40 days, no refund was made.

The family later received an anonymous email claiming the franchise offer and related documents were fraudulent. They subsequently approached the National Cyber Crime Helpline and lodged a police complaint.

Police have registered a case against unidentified persons under relevant sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act. Efforts are underway to trace the accused through the bank accounts, mobile numbers and email IDs linked to the transactions. DeshGujarat