CHENNAI: A call centre employee from Bengaluru was arrested for allegedly posing as a middleman on OLX to dupe an IT professional, planning to buy a used car in Chennai, of Rs 14.5 lakh. Investigators are now suspecting a network behind the fraud as they found the phone and SIM card used in the crime were procured from multiple sources.
The suspect, Rajesh, contacted both the prospective buyer - Sathish (32) of Kilpauk -- and seller -- Bharath (32) of Medavakkam -- separately, identifying himself as a relative of the other.
To Bharath, he made a lucrative offer of a buyer willing to pay Rs 24 lakh, well above the car’s market value of around Rs 18 lakh, and to Sathish, he pitched the same car at just Rs 14 lakh, making it appear as a bargain.
Convinced, Sathish transferred Rs 14.5 lakh after inspecting the vehicle via a video call. The fraud came to light only when both men met at Sathish’s residence to complete the transaction.
The complaint in this regard was filed by Sathish in December 2025. The police zeroed in on Rajesh through bank transaction data and telecom records. During questioning, he allegedly claimed a friend had asked to use his bank account to receive money.
Further scrutiny of the devices revealed a more complex picture. The phone seized from the suspect was traced to a person now lodged in Virudhunagar sub-jail, while the SIM card was procured separately. The police suspect Rajesh may not have acted alone and are working to unravel the network that supplied to the fraud. Rajesh has been produced before a magistrate’s court.