HYDERABAD: In a first-of-its-kind fraud reported in the city, the owner of a firm cheated at least 400 members under the pretext of supplying them Karakkaya (Haritaki), an ayurvedic supplement, and collected `1,000 from each person, most of them women. While Karakkaya costs less than 100 per kg in Hyderabad, the suspect collected `1,000, and even offered to pay them 1,300, after they made it into powder form and supplied.
The fraud came to light after one of the victims lodged the complaint with KPHB police. Police found the suspect the firm had collected around 40 lakh from victims, but the amount may go up as many victims are yet to come forward. Police said, around seven months ago, the owners of the firm Soft Integrate Multi Foods had published ads offering job opportunities for housewives. When the victims approached the firm, they were asked to deposit `1,000 for a kg of Karakkaya and were asked to return the same after powdering it, for which they would be paid `1,300 per kg.
The firm also had a reason ready for collecting `1,000 for Karakkaya: “As the fruit is used in Ayurvedic medicine, if the clients fail to hand over the material in powdered form, the firm would be a loss and the amount was a security deposit for the stock given to them,” the victims were told. On seeing the success of their scam, the firm made an offer that if any client buys 100 kg of the fruit by paying `1,00,000, they would be paid `50 extra on the powdered material. Taken away by the offer, the complainant and his friends deposited `40 lakh in the firm’s account and the manager of the firm Mallikarjuna said they would receive the amount with the extra commission after six months as per company rules.
As per the agreement, they were supposed to pay the amount on July 16, but instead, they received a call from the staff that the manager is absconding. Suspecting foul play, the victims rushed to the firm’s office and found many other victims who were also cheated, waiting for their amounts.