Another trader becomes prey of ‘magic pen’ in Odisha Capital, duped of Rs 76,500

Bhubaneswar: Another city-based trader was duped by a miscreant using a magic pen with erasable ink in Hanspal area of Bhubaneswar. The trader, Krushna Kumar Padhi lodged a complaint with Balianta Police on March 6 alleging the miscreant defrauded him of Rs 76,500 in a cheque fraud.

As per the complaint, Krushna Kumar received a phone call on March 3 from a number- 8902044509. Identifying himself as Sales Manager of HDFC Bank, Bhubaneswar, the caller offered Krushna Kumar to open a Cash Credit Account or a Business Account. When Krushna Kumar told the caller that these matters cannot be discussed over phone, he suggested to the trader’s tyre showroom. The same day a youth came to Krushna Kumar’s tyre show room and discussed with him about opening of C.C. Account or Business Account.

On the next day, Krushna Kumar received another call from 89022115269 at around 2:24PM. Identifying himself as the boss of the youth, who visited Krushna Kumar on March 3, the caller told him about the benefits of opening of a CC Account or Business Account and asked him to keep his documents ready. As per the discussion, the youth visited the trader’s tyre showroom at 11:34 am on March 6 and collected photocopies of Krushna Kumar’s PAN Card, G.S.T. Number, Voter Identity Card, Rent Agreement, one passport size photograph, gas connection card along with one cheque bearing No. 000016 and another Cheque No.000017 of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

The complainant further said cheque No.000017 was a cancelled cheque and the youth put Rs 149 in Cheque No.-000016. After the trader put signature on both the cheques, the youth collected it along with all the documents. Again the ‘boss’ of the youth called the complainant at 2.24 PM and continuously talked with the trader. In the mean time, the youth presented Krushna Kumar’s cheque in Kotak Mahindra Bank in which the trader was having an account. Krushna Kumar further alleged the youth forged the amount and withdraw Rs 76,500 from his Current Account No.:6113081660 in the bank.

When the youth was encashing the cheque, an employee of Kotak Mahindra bank called up the trader, but could not talk to him as his phone busy. Later Krushna Kumar called up Kotak Mahindra Bank from where he had got a call and found out that an amount of Rs 76,500 has been paid through the counter against his cheque. To his utter surprise Rs 76,500 was mentioned in the cheque number: 000016.

Worth mentioning, the youth had taken a signature of the trader in the cheque mentioning Rs 149.

The trader said he is possessing the footage of the CCTV installed at his tyre showroom from which the youth who collected the cheques and documents could be easily identified.

Yesterday, a complaint was lodged at the Khandagiri police station alleging that a miscreant allegedly conned a shop owner of Bapuji Nagar area Rs 22,500 in a cheque fraud using a pen with erasable ink.