Mumbai Police Crime Branch has busted a high-tech fraud where GST numbers of people with good credit histories were used to illegally buy and sell luxury vehicles such as BMW and Toyota Fortuner. Police arrested seven accused and seized 16 luxury cars worth Rs 7.3 crore in the last two weeks.

How the scam worked

The accused, who were based in Mumbai and surrounding areas, would look up GST numbers of people with good CIBIL scores online, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Datta Nalawade. Based on this, they would get the PAN details of the victims and then make duplicate PAN and Aadhaar cards, replacing the original photo with the face of gang members.

To facilitate bank verification processes, the accused even took a room on rent to use as an address. As the identities that they used carried high credit ratings, banks easily sanctioned loans for luxury cars. After the cars were procured, the gang is accused of changing the engine and chassis numbers, making duplicate RC books, and selling the cars in adjacent states before vanishing.

35 Cars stolen in three years

The gang is suspected to have stolen more than 35 vehicles through this technique in the last three years. Out of the seven men nabbed, four had prior convictions, DCP Nalawade added.

How the scam was uncovered

The scam was unearthed during the investigation of the theft of a Rs 16 lakh Mahindra Thar in Vikhroli in 2023. The investigation brought them to the bigger racket, revealing the use of stolen identities on a mass scale for obtaining auto loans fraudulently.

People have been advised by the police to secure their GST information and PAN data to prevent falling prey to such scams. The investigation is still in progress, and more arrests are on the cards.

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