A husband-wife duo from Noida devised an elaborate scheme to live a life of luxury by fraudulently acquiring high-end cars at no cost. Their method involved duping car dealerships with fake payment confirmations, ultimately allowing them to drive away luxury vehicles without paying a dime. The scam unraveled when one dealership, suspecting foul play, alerted authorities, leading to the arrest of the husband while the wife remains on the run.
The Arrest: Fraud Unveiled
On Friday, the Noida Police arrested Rajdev, a software company director, for allegedly acquiring a Tata Safari worth ₹26 lakh through fraudulent means. The case against him and his wife, Koyal Dev, emerged after an internal audit by Sagar Motors, a dealership in Sector 5, revealed discrepancies. Koyal, who is equally implicated in the scam, is currently evading arrest, and police teams are actively pursuing her.
According to police reports, Rajdev and Koyal presented a fake cheque clearance message to the dealership, making it appear that ₹26 lakh had been credited to the showroom’s account. However, when the cheque was submitted, the couple’s bank account held a meager balance of ₹995.
The Modus Operandi
The couple’s fraudulent scheme revolved around exploiting gaps in dealership protocols. Here’s how they executed their scams:
- Booking with a Small Initial Payment
On August 10, 2023, Rajdev and Koyal booked a Tata Safari online with a token payment of ₹11,000 to Sagar Motors. - Issuing a Bogus Cheque
They issued a cheque for the remaining ₹26 lakh from their personal account, which lacked sufficient funds. - Faking Payment Confirmation
The duo produced a fabricated payment message to convince showroom staff that the cheque had cleared. - Quick Vehicle Delivery and Resale
After taking delivery of the car, they sold it to a dealer in Delhi for ₹12 lakh—less than half its market value.
The fraud came to light when the dealership discovered that the cheque had bounced, and the payment confirmation was fake.
A Pattern of Deception
This wasn’t the couple’s first brush with fraud. Investigations revealed they had previously executed similar scams, acquiring luxury vehicles, including:
- A Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara worth ₹22 lakh from Rana Motors in Noida.
- A Toyota Hilux worth ₹30 lakh from Galaxy Toyota in Najafgarh, Delhi.
Each time, they employed the same strategy of issuing fake payment confirmations and selling the cars at discounted prices, creating the illusion of operating at a loss. In reality, the money they received from the sales was pure profit, as they never paid for the cars in the first place.
A Luxurious Lifestyle Funded by Fraud
The couple’s fraudulent activities enabled them to lead a lavish lifestyle. They rented a plush apartment in Cleo County Society in Noida’s Phase 3 for ₹55,000 per month. Rajdev and Koyal also ran a software company called Devex, headquartered in Noida’s Sector 63. Authorities are now scrutinizing the company for any potential connections to their criminal activities.
Criminal Network Under Investigation
Authorities suspect the couple may have conducted similar scams in other cities. The police are coordinating with the assistant divisional department and RTO officials to identify any additional vehicles acquired fraudulently. They are also probing whether others were involved in facilitating the couple’s operations.
One of their tactics involved promising to pay the full amount for the vehicles after receiving the Registration Certificate (RC). This delayed reporting to the RTO, buying them time to sell the cars and disappear.
In addition to the cases in Noida and Delhi, a separate complaint has been lodged against the couple in Himachal Pradesh, suggesting the possibility of a nationwide network.
