NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old man was arrested in Guwahati, Assam, for allegedly duping a Delhi woman by impersonating a representative of a popular online clothing brand on social media, police said on Tuesday. The accused, Hizbul Bari, a former employee of a telecommunication store, was apprehended after the complainant reported the fraud. According to police, the woman had come across a social media account that falsely claimed to be the official page of a well-known women’s clothing brand. The impersonator convinced the complainant to place an order worth Rs 11,500 for clothing items.
Trusting the legitimacy of the profile and conversation, the woman transferred the amount. However, after the transaction, no items were delivered and repeated attempts to contact the seller for a refund went unanswered. Realizing she had been scammed, the victim approached the police.
Following an investigation, authorities traced the fraudulent account to Guwahati. Police raided the location on May 24 and arrested Bari, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania. During questioning, Bari revealed that he had targeted social media users with fake business profiles, typically scamming small amounts (under Rs 15,000). He believed that smaller sums would discourage victims from reporting the fraud. A mobile phone used to operate the fake account and communicate with victims has been recovered.