The Delhi High Court has instructed the Delhi Police Cyber Cell to launch an investigation into a fraudulent scratch card scheme conducted by unknown individuals in the name of ‘AJIO’ and ‘AJIO Online Shopping Pvt. Limited.’ This directive came as a response to a plea filed by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), the parent company of the e-commerce platform AJIO.
RIL expressed concerns about multiple instances of fraudulent communications bearing the name ‘AJIO Online Shopping Pvt. Ltd.’ originating from an address in New Town Kolkata, West Bengal, which posed a threat to its trademark ‘AJIO,’ logo, and related marks.
The fraudulent scheme involved sending false letters to recipients, claiming that they had won prize money ranging from INR 7.5 Lakh to INR 10 Lakh through scratch card coupons issued by AJIO. These deceptive letters provided instructions on how to claim the purported prizes and went on to collect money from recipients under the guise of advance government taxes and processing fees.
RIL also stated that some of its employees received these deceptive communications and scratch cards. Upon initial investigation, it was found that the scammers used various mobile numbers and bank accounts to receive deposits.
The Delhi High Court, in its order, recognized the scale of this fraudulent operation and its convincing nature. It ordered the prompt freezing of the bank accounts used by the perpetrators and the submission of comprehensive account statements, including Know Your Customer (KYC) details and any available information dating back to the inception of these accounts.
The court also instructed telecom service providers to block the identified mobile numbers used by the scammers and to ascertain the identities of the individuals who registered these numbers.
RIL emphasized that ‘AJIO’ is one of India’s popular brands, with millions of customers and a significant market presence in the e-commerce fashion category.
This development highlights the growing issue of online scams in India, prompting government intervention. Earlier, there was a surge in incoming international spam calls on WhatsApp, leading to the government’s ban on thousands of WhatsApp accounts as part of its efforts to combat spam job calls.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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