This is to caution the general public against a scam perpetrated in Bangalore in the guise of a company called Luxeown, seemingly owned by a man called ‘Raj’ aka ‘Rajesh Kumar Dutta’. Its not a scam pattern that big that would raise many eyebrows but if you plan to sell sofa on OLX and stay in the surrounding areas of Whitefield, you will be well-advised to read this in full.
The scam: That-you-can-get-your-old-furniture-repaired-sitting-at-home.
The Victim:you-as-a-seller-on-olx-now-turned-into-client-for furniture-repair
The bait:
That-you-dont-have to sell-it-and-you-can-get-it-repaired
Modus operandi:
The company checks furniture ads in OLX.
A well heeled man comes in the guise of trying to buy the furniture.
Offers to repair the furniture you are trying to sell of with a 2 week delivery period.
Shows a variety of fabric to choose from for re-upholtering and claims lineage to Stanley Furniture.
Shows the website, PDF portfolio and virtual visiting card and even aadhar card as proof.
Shows the website https://luxeown.business.site/
Has a youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGRc4TSui78
Insists on advance.
Then takes payment in form of UPI or equivalent means.
Scrawls an invoice on a official looking slip.
Then carries away the furniture and your advance in a van he has already brought for the purpose.
It seems very convenient. All you need to do is pick out the fabric from a catalog he show you and pay him some advance on gPay.
This is a little different from the other QR code payment scams on OLX. Its also a little more daring and novel if we can look at it that way.
The subsequent follow-up:
‘Mr Raj’ strives to call only on whatsapp and avoids any sort of phone call interaction.
Several frantic calls later, you realize you have been duped. No furniture and advance down the drain.
The find.
Visits to the address listen on the site result in nothing — no sign board, nothing that tells you that the company exists there. So you ask all the nearby shops about this company ‘Luxeown’. That when you see them smile. To see one more ‘bakra’. Then curiosity gets the better of them and they ask. “ How much did you lose?” Once you tell them how much, curiosity is satisfied, The the curiosity look turns to feigned ignorance. “Dont know. Maybe that shop there. Why did you give the money anyway ? Lots of you coming in everyday” and then they turn away.
Thats when you realize you need help. A few visits to police stations nearby leads you to the Parapanna police station.
The on-duty policemen just listen to a few phraes before you realize he is hearing a familiar tale. Nonchalantly, he says “you keep a watch on that shop, then once someone opens it, you dial 112. Someone will come.” So you ask, “Can we get a more local number like the local beat cop or local station?”. He nods his head and declines “Parva illa” (“Doesn’t matter”) and sends you on your way.
So you lie in wait and the next “logical” thing. Sleuthing and doing an amateur stake-out. You dont expect much — but you sure would like a glimpse of the individual who swindled you, so you lie in wait.
Many hours later — Surprise, A small good van shows up and 2 individuals sitting in it crank open the garage. As you raise your eyebrows and bewilderment, you realize you dial 112. But this is where time really starts sprinting in your mind. Nothing happens.
Since you dont have any other number you dial 100. That takes you to an IVR menu which says ‘Press 1 for X. press 2 for Y. By this time the suspects have moved the furniture and are on their way to closing the garage.
So you ask your better half to peek in that garage to see if your recliner exists. “No sign of recliner” , comes the reply. In desperation, you decide to ask them for your recliner as-is without a further idea of what you will do.
The folks unloading the sofa dont see it coming for a moment. And they freeze. As you ask them ‘whose shop is it’ ? ‘Where is the van coming from’ ? ‘And where is Mr Raj’ ?
But you havent exactly planned everything down, have you. The helpline does not function like in the movies. The number just doesnt connect. Then they slowly realize you are alone. Thats when the van driver gets aggressive on you. Big mistake, but its too late.
So, in desperation, you yell back, “I am calling the police” and fidget with numbers and dial the 100 helpline. Thats enough to make them reconsider. And off they scoot. In their van.
While the van driver scoots, you manage to get the helper. You ask him, “Hey, kya naam hai ? kahaan se ho. Yahin ruko” (where are you from ? Wait here) and he realizes the van has left him in the lurch. So he stops.
He says his name is “Ganesh”. You dont buy it but say nothing. You learn he is from Nepal and come to Bangalore in search of work. Then he dials in to his boss “Mr Raj”. You hear an achingly familiar “hello” sound that you have been trying to reach for a long time. Once he knows whats happening, “Mr Raj just cuts the call” and refuses to pick-up again.
Anyway, after quizzing the man you have temporarily detained with you, you realize with no helpline you dont have the authority or the man power to interrogate him. So you have to let him go.
2nd visit to the station
Back you go to parapanna police station. Where the cops ask you what you are there for. This time you say “OLX furniture scam” and before you can say anything more the 3 or more cops say in unision “Raj uhh?” And you say yes. “How much?”. You answer “5.5k”. That seems to be a pittance. And so then they start gossipping amongst themselves. Then they lead you to the in-charge, who asks you to write a report and the on-duty clerk hands you a A4 sheet. While you are writing the report, you hear someone make a snide remark in kannada, “Its looks like its not a report but a movie script”, unaware that while you cannot speak the local language, you catch it in bits and pieces. Written Paper taken, no acknowledgement given, the duty cop asks you to come tomorrow, “nale banni”.
When you ask if they want to see his face or address of the pics you’ve clicked, they yell back, “is yours the only case here ? Come back tomorrow, didnt you hear me say it”.
The takeaway
Not sure if we cant get more help from the local police. What I will do however is post everything I have here. So word gets out and fewer folks fall for it.
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