Ahmedabad man duped of over ₹12 lakh in gold coin scam on Amazon, FIR against seller, platform officials

The Gaekwad Haveli police in Ahmedabad have registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy after a city-based man alleged that he, along with his family members and a friend, was duped of over ₹12.6 lakh in a fake gold coin purchase made through the Amazon shopping app earlier this year.

As per the FIR lodged by 41-year-old Firoz Ramjanibhai Tatavala a resident of Juna Vankarwas in Ahmedabad, he has been a Prime member of Amazon for the past four years, regularly ordering products and receiving timely deliveries. However, in March this year, Tatavala came across an advertisement for five-gram 24-carat gold coins by ‘Vijay Jewellers’ under the company name Super Psyllium, listed on the Amazon app at ₹35,000 per coin notably cheaper than the prevailing market rate of around ₹45,000.

“Attracted by the offer, I purchased 10 gold coins worth ₹3.5 lakh using my Kotak Mahindra Bank credit card,” Tatavala stated in his complaint. He received a tax invoice from Amazon on March 24, 2025, confirming the order and assuring delivery the following day. However, despite waiting for months, neither the gold coins were delivered nor was the payment refunded.

Upon tracking his order, Tatavala discovered a false delivery update, which claimed the parcel had been delivered in Bengaluru on February 20 a month before his actual order date. “I immediately contacted Amazon customer care and informed them that the tracking details were wrong. I was told to wait for three days, then seven more, but despite repeated calls, no solution was provided,” he said.

Tatavala further stated that his father, wife, and a friend identified as Asfaq Devlajiwala — also purchased similar gold coins through the same listing, collectively paying over ₹12.6 lakh. None of them received the coins, and all were shown similar ‘delivered’ status updates on the app.

The complaint accuses both the seller, operating under the names ‘Super Psyllium’ and Vijay Jewellers, and Amazon officials of conspiring to cheat customers. Despite repeated complaints and submission of screenshots, the platform failed to provide refunds or initiate any legal action against the fraudulent seller.

Following preliminary verification, the Gaekwad Haveli police registered an FIR under sections related to cheating and criminal conspiracy of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police said they are examining transaction records, communication logs, and the seller’s credentials on the e-commerce platform. “We are coordinating with Amazon’s compliance team to trace the seller and verify whether the listing was verified through their internal channels,” an officer said.