Fake Income Tax Officer and GST Officials Arrested for cheating Jeweller of Rs.40 Lakh

Recently, Chennai police arrested two men for defrauding a Trichy-based jeweller of Rs. 40 lakh by impersonating as Income Tax officer and an auditor. To make their act appear credible, the accused used fake government official credentials and VIP car passes.

According to police, the victim, M Praveen, a 38-year-old director at the Mangal and Mangal jewellery firm in Trichy, filed a complaint after realising he had been duped. The incident occurred in 2021, when Praveen went to the GST office to discuss business matters. At the GST office, he was contacted by one of the accused, Gurusampath Kumar, who identified himself as an auditor.

Gurusampath then brought Praveen to his accomplice, S Lakshminarayanan, who claimed to be an income tax official. The duo promised Praveen that they could not only assist with GST concerns, but also obtain gold from banks at a lower cost. They told persuasive stories about having insider access and knowledge with banks.

Praveen trusted them and explored the opportunity with his business partners. In August 2021, the jeweller and his firm gave over Rs.40 lakh in cash to the accused at their Chennai office. After receiving the money, the two individuals failed to produce the promised gold. Despite several follow-ups, they did not keep their commitment or return the money.

Last month, when Praveen attempted to contact one of the accused, he was threatened. He quickly files a formal complaint with the Elephant Gate Police Station in Chennai. Acting on the complaint, the police initiated an inquiry and detained Gurusampath Kumar, 42, of Anna Nagar, Chennai, and S Lakshminarayanan, 46, of Puducherry. The police also seized their SUV, which had a fake ‘G’ government sticker and false VIP driving passes with the Tamil Nadu government emblem.

The police are investigating whether the accused used the same method to deceive others. Their use of fake identities, forged credentials, and fraudulent stories suggests they may have targeted more victims. Taxpayers should be cautious of scammers who constantly devise new strategies to deceive unsuspecting individuals, often targeting those who are innocent and quick to trust strangers.