Childhood friend dupes man of ₹20 lakh through credit card scam in Ahmedabad

A 32-year-old resident of Jivraj Park, Vejalpur, has lodged a police complaint alleging that his childhood friend cheated him of over ₹20.4 lakh by misusing 14 of his credit cards and luring him with promises of ‘reward points’ and higher credit limits.

As per the FIR registered at Vejalpur police station, the complainant, Mohammad Faimarza Momin, who works as an Assistant Manager with an outsourcing firm in Gurugram, said he was deceived by his friend Mohammad Yunus Sheikh over a period of eight months between April and November 2024.

Faimarza told police that in August 2023, Sheikh convinced him to hand over his credit cards, saying he would use them during festive online sales to increase card limits and collect reward points on his behalf. Trusting him, Faimarza provided a total of 14 cards from different banks.

Over the next few months, Sheikh allegedly used these cards extensively and also persuaded Faimarza to transfer large sums directly into his bank account. The FIR mentions that Faimarza transferred ₹5 lakh via RTGS in April 2024 to Sheikh’s Kotak Mahindra Bank account, after which Sheikh paid back some card bills to win his trust.

Later, Sheikh allegedly convinced Faimarza to take personal loans in his own name, citing his inability to secure loans himself. A loan of ₹4.78 lakh from Indian Bank and another of ₹4.83 lakh from HDFC Bank were disbursed into Faimarza’s accounts, which he then transferred to Sheikh.

The complaint states that Sheikh siphoned off the money by swiping credit cards, making purchases, and transferring amounts to multiple accounts, while leaving large outstanding dues unpaid. By November 2024, card bills amounting to several lakhs were pending, spread across banks including HDFC, ICICI, SBI, Axis, Kotak, IndusInd, HSBC, and American Express.

When confronted, Sheikh allegedly gave Faimarza a cheque of ₹14.6 lakh dated December 29, 2024, which later bounced. Faimarza further claimed that Sheikh grew hostile when asked to settle dues, telling him to “do whatever you want”.

Police said the total fraud amounted to ₹20.4 lakh, and Sheikh is also suspected of having duped several others similarly. Based on the complaint, Sheikh has been booked under relevant sections of the BNS for cheating and criminal breach of trust.

“The investigation is in progress. Statements of witnesses and bank records will be examined to track the money trail,” said a Vejalpur police officer.