Ahmedabad businessman duped of ₹13 lakh in online ‘vendor ID’ investment scam

A 44-year-old businessman from Ghatlodia has filed a complaint with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police alleging that he was cheated of ₹13.31 lakh by fraudsters who lured him into investing through a fake vendor-registration portal impersonating the UAE-based e-commerce platform, Noon.

Complainant, Nishantkumar Patel, who runs a water-supply equipment shop in the city, said he was targeted after he signed up on a dating application while searching for companionship following his wife’s death during the pandemic.

Patel told the police that he downloaded the dating app Quack Quack on October 5, 2025. On October 23, he received a message from a woman identifying herself as 'Ananya', who later asked him to shift the conversation to WhatsApp and delete the dating app.

Over the next several days, 'Ananya' allegedly befriended him, claiming she lived in Singapore and ran a clothing business. She told him she had suffered financial losses but had recovered her income by investing in an online platform called Noon Shop, which she said offered 20% returns on buying and selling goods as a 'vendor'.

The complainant said the woman frequently sent photos of luxury outings to convince him of the platform’s profitability.

The accused shared a link asking Patel to create a vendor ID. When he opened the link, he found a website bearing the logo, layout and customer-care details identical to the original Noon platform, which operates in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Believing it to be genuine, Patel filled in his personal details, entered an OTP received on WhatsApp, and created a vendor account. He registered 137 products on the portal.

On October 30, he began receiving 'orders' on his dashboard, though the website did not show customer names or addresses. Patel was told he needed to first deposit the cost of each product as 'security', which would be refunded along with a 20% commission once the order was 'delivered'.

Between October 30 and November 19, Patel transferred ₹13.31 lakh through 18 separate transactions from his bank accounts and one transaction from a friend’s account to bank accounts provided through the website’s chat support. The amounts ranged from ₹5,142 to ₹4.70 lakh and were paid to accounts.

To build trust, the fraudsters allegedly allowed Patel to withdraw one small amount, ₹6,794 'commission' from an initial transaction. When Patel later attempted to withdraw the accumulated funds displayed in his “vendor wallet”, the website blocked the request.

He told police that the platform’s “customer service” chatbot informed him that his “credit score” had been damaged due to incomplete orders and that he needed to deposit even more money to restore it.

When he confronted 'Ananya', she allegedly claimed she had also suffered losses because of him and demanded further payment, making Patel realise he had been defrauded.

Patel contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and later submitted a written complaint to the Cyber Crime Police Station. After a preliminary inquiry, the police registered an FIR for cheating, identity fraud and creating forged electronic records.

Officers said the fraud appears to be part of a larger organised online investment scam, and efforts are underway to trace the operators of the fake Noon platform and the bank account holders.