How search for a Domino’s franchise led to Ludhina-based man losing more than Rs 20 lakhs to cyber scam

Online Scamsters

Online fraud activities have grown rapidly in the last few years and another such shocking case has emerged. In the latest case, a Ludhiana resident has lost Rs 20.77 lakh to fraudsters, as he wanted to have the franchise of Domino’s a restaurant chain for which he had applied online.

According to a report by The Times of India, Tarsem Singh Gogoani was contacted by unidentified people for the same. He mistakenly came across a website that appeared to be an official portal for Domino's franchises. He was convinced by the website's professional appearance and decided to proceed with his application.

After entering his details, Gogoani received a phone call from an unidentified person claiming to be an official representative of Dominos. He was then convinced by the scammer to pay Rs 20.77 lakh in multiple transactions. After receiving the payments in different accounts, the scammer blocked all communication methods, and Gogoani realised he had been duped.

After this, Gogoani promptly filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime police station in Ludhiana. According to the report, investigating officer Mamta Minhas has stated that a case has been registered and that the investigation is ongoing.

This incident is a stark reminder of the rising trend of online fraud activities, where innocent individuals are lured into monetary or business set-up traps by cyber criminals.

To avoid such scams, you can follow these precautionary measures:

Always verify business or contact the bank’s customer care, before proceeding with any payment to an unknown number.

Do not entertain large upfront payments before the delivery of any goods or services.

Ensure that you are not clicking on any unknown website or external link.

Look for ‘https’ in the URL or ensure the link is marked safe on your browser.