Nagpur: A 59-year-old businessman from Somalwada was allegedly cheated of ₹1.13 lakh in an online fraud after cyber scammers lured him with a fake advertisement offering household items for sale under the pretext of an Army transfer.

Based on the victim’s complaint, Sonegaon Police have registered a case under Section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act against an unidentified accused.

According to the police, the complainant, Satish Sambhaji Raipure (59), a proprietor of a private company and resident of Plot No. 9, Maya Smruti, Rajiv Nagar, Somalwada, Wardha Road, received a message on his mobile phone on May 23, 2026. The sender claimed to be an Army personnel who had been transferred and wanted to sell household items, including a refrigerator, television, bed, and other furniture.

Interested in purchasing the goods, Raipure contacted the seller. The accused then sent him a QR code and instructed him to scan it using Google Pay. Believing the transaction to be genuine, the complainant transferred money from his Axis Bank account as well as from his daughter-in-law’s bank account through Google Pay.

Police said the accused obtained a total of ₹1,13,000 through four separate online transactions. Even after receiving the money, the fraudster continued demanding additional payments on various pretexts.

Growing suspicious, the complainant verified the claims and realised he had been cheated. The promised household items were never delivered, and the accused disappeared after fraudulently obtaining the money.

A case was registered at Sonegaon Police Station on July 7, 2026, and further investigation is underway to trace the cyber fraudster.