Duped: auto dealers and online buyers

A man has been arrested for allegedly posing as a “seller” on an online trading portal and cheating prospective buyers by pretending to sell them new four-wheelers displayed in showrooms at used-car rates.

Police said Abhishek Das, 32, the accused, would book a car from a showroom in the name of a prospective buyer saying that it was a gift for his friend and pay the booking amount with a cheque. Then he would quote a lesser price to the prospective buyer for the same car.

The buyer, thinking that he was getting a new car at a price lesser than the showroom rate, would agree and make the payment to the “seller”. Later, the showroom would find that the cheque had bounced and hence, the car would not be handed over to the buyer.