What appeared to be a bargain vehicle deal on Instagram turned out to be a costly lesson for a 26-year-old man from Shamshabad, who allegedly lost ₹49,999 to fraudsters posing as sellers and claiming links to the Indian Army.The victim, Pathlavath Mahesh, a private employee from Madanapally Kotha Thanda in Shamshabad mandal, approached police after becoming suspicious of a series of payments demanded by the purported sellers.According to his statement, Mahesh was scrolling through Instagram Reels on June 18 when he noticed an advertisement offering a vehicle at a low price. After expressing interest, he received a call from a person who quoted a final price of ₹85,000 and sought his Aadhaar details and location, claiming paperwork for the sale would be prepared.The caller then sent a QR code and asked for an initial payment. Mahesh transferred ₹1,000, followed by another ₹2,000. Soon after, the suspects allegedly claimed they were serving in the Indian Army and would arrange transportation of the vehicle.To make the transaction appear genuine, they reportedly sent a bill and demanded ₹7,999 towards GPS tracking charges. The complainant paid the amount. The following day, he was asked to transfer another ₹15,500 to facilitate dispatch of the vehicle.The fraudsters then allegedly sought a further ₹21,500 through a different QR code, assuring the complainant that the vehicle would soon be delivered. By the time he realised something was amiss, he had transferred a total of ₹49,999.The victim subsequently contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint.Shamshabad police registered a cybercrime case and launched an investigation to identify and trace the persons behind the fraud. Published - June 22, 2026 07:37 pm IST