Online scammers are now targeting small shopkeepers across Punjab by pretending to be army personnel. Fraudsters are now using fake payment messages and emotional manipulation to trick innocent people into transferring money.
One such case was reported in Samrala on Sunday, where Kamal Singh, a young businessman who runs a battery shop on Chandigarh Road, was duped of ₹23,400. The victim received a call from an individual claiming to be an Army officer urgently needing a car battery. They agreed on a price of ₹5,600. The caller immediately sent a fake payment message of ₹3,000 and then claimed to have sent ₹26,000 instead of ₹2,600 by mistake.
Believing that the caller is an army officer, Kamal transferred ₹23,400 back to the scammer’s account — only to realise that no money had ever actually come in. By the time he understood that he had been cheated, the fraudster disappeared. He stopped picking up his call.
In another such incident, Rajat Khullar, who runs a stationery shop in Samrala, also received a call from a man claiming to represent the local Army canteen. He enquired for a bulk order of notebooks and pens worth ₹5,400. The caller even sent a fake Army ID on WhatsApp to build trust and transferred ₹100 as an initial amount.
Later, he claimed to have accidentally sent ₹54,000 instead of ₹5,400 and requested that the extra amount be returned. Luckily, Rajat checked his bank account first and noticed no such transfer had been made, saving himself from the trap.
The police and cyber team have urged shopkeepers to stay alert and verify all transactions thoroughly, especially if identity-based trust is being used to pressure them. Anyone targeted by such scams have been asked to report the incident right away to help protect others.
With such scams on the rise, there's an urgent need for digital awareness and fraud prevention measures, especially among small business owners in Punjab who may be unfamiliar with such tactics.
Follow us
