Kalyan man put out fake property listings on websites, conned customers

A Kalyan-based marketing executive and his roommate have been arrested for conning people into paying advance or fee for showing properties for rent

MUMBAI: The MIDC police arrested a Kalyan-based marketing executive and his roommate on Sunday in connection with a complaint by a woman that they conned her into paying ₹90,000 before she could be taken to see houses let out on rent.

Swapnil Jadhav was a victim of a con two years ago and saw that the accused didn’t get caught (FILE Photo)

Police said the two suspects, Swapnil Jadhav, 31, and Manavendra Sahni, 36, were produced before a court on Monday and remanded in police custody.

Swapnil Jadhav, the marketing executive, came up with the plan to con people after he fell victim to a cyber fraud two years ago and partnered with his roommate.

They would put out fake property listings on online platforms using photos from previous legitimate listings, masquerade as agents, and solicit fees for site inspections or advance, depending on the victim. They had been operating for a year or more but hadn’t faced trouble with the police.

Among their victims was a 35-year-old woman who contacted them via a website and paid them ₹90,000 in advance before inspecting the premises. After they allegedly stopped responding after getting the money, the woman complained to the police.

Police said Jadhav changed his phone numbers and reset his phones to evade detection but this time, a special team led by assistant commissioner of police Dr Shashikant Bhosale was set up which was able to track them down to Kalyan

“Despite challenges in determining their exact address, we tracked them down through an exhaustive day-long investigation. Pretending as customers, we engaged with them to ascertain their precise whereabouts before effecting their arrest,” an officer said.

The police team has seized five mobile phones and other devices from the accused.