Rajasthan men arrested in Mangaluru for defrauding Amazon of Rs 1.29 crore

Authorities in Mangaluru have arrested two men from Rajasthan on charges of defrauding Amazon of Rs 1.29 crore while they travelled across multiple states. The accused, identified as 23-year-old Raj Kumar Meena and 27-year-old Subhash Gurjar, are linked to numerous criminal cases filed against them in several states, including Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Their arrest highlights a growing trend of sophisticated online fraud schemes targeting major e-commerce platforms.

According to police reports, the duo employed a clever scheme to execute their fraud. They would order expensive items, such as cameras and laptops, along with cheaper products using fictitious identities. During the delivery process, they would distract the delivery personnel and swap the shipping labels of the high-value items with those of the less expensive ones. High-value items typically require a one-time password (OTP) for delivery confirmation, while the less expensive ones might require an OTP only for cash on delivery. After swapping the labels, they would provide incorrect OTPs to the delivery agents and subsequently cancel the order for the high-value items.

The fraudulent activities were uncovered when Mahindra Logistics, Amazon's delivery partner, identified the suspicious behaviour of Gurjar and Meena and reported it to the company. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal stated that the suspects were linked to 11 other cases involving premium gadgets, including high-end cameras, iPhones, and laptops, each valued at over Rs 10 lakh.

The arrest occurred when the pair placed an order on September 21 for two Sony cameras and 10 additional items under the alias "Amrith." The delivery was scheduled for an address near the KSRTC bus stand in Mangaluru. During the delivery, Meena provided the OTP for the lower-cost items, while Gurjar swapped the labels on the Sony camera packages. They then provided incorrect OTPs for the cameras and sent the delivery agent away before cancelling the orders for the expensive items.

Following an investigation by Mahindra Logistics, it was discovered that the shipping labels had been tampered with. The matter was escalated to Amazon, which verified the fraudulent activities and informed the police. Authorities subsequently arrested Meena and Gurjar, seizing Rs 11.45 lakh in cash that they had obtained from selling the stolen Sony cameras.