Mumbai man loses Rs 9 lakh in fake Amazon franchise scam advertised on Facebook

After allegedly being denied payment receipts, the victim lodged an online cybercrime complaint. Representation pic/istock

A Borivali West resident, Sunil Jagtiani, was duped of Rs 9,03,048 after applying for a bogus Amazon franchise advertised on Facebook. Two men, identifying themselves as Vinay and Pankaj, contacted him, explained the franchise process and promised complete setup support, including technology and delivery staff.

Fake registration

Jagtiani initially paid Rs 15,500 as a registration fee and shared his Aadhaar card, PAN card, educational certificate and photograph. The accused sent him documents claiming to be an agreement and trade licence, convincing him that the offer was genuine. Between June 26 and July 16, 2026, the accused repeatedly extracted money under multiple pretexts - such as insurance premiums, account opening, NOC, server maintenance, TDS payments, and visiting charges. Each time, they falsely assured Jagtiani it would be the final payment.

Cyber complaint

When the victim requested official receipts, he was told everything would be issued together once the process was completed. Realising he had been scammed, Jagtiani lodged a cybercrime complaint online.

Rs 15,500
Amount the complainant allegedly paid as the registration fee