In the busy streets of Ahmedabad, shopkeepers rely on the familiar chime of Paytm Sound Boxes to confirm payments. It’s quick, it’s convenient, and it saves time. But what if that very sound was being used to steal money instead?
“Sir, Your Monthly Fee is Now ₹1.”
It was a regular evening at Jayesh Desai’s store in Vasna when two well-dressed men walked in. One of them, with an ID card hanging around his neck, smiled and said, “Sir, we’re from Paytm. Good news! Your Sound Box charges have been reduced from ₹99 to just ₹1 per month.”
Jayesh, like any other small business owner, was always looking to cut down unnecessary costs. “That’s great,” he said, nodding. “What do I have to do?”
“Nothing much, just a simple update on your Paytm app. It’ll take two minutes. Can I see your phone?”
Without thinking twice, Jayesh handed over his device. The man tapped a few buttons, smiled, and handed it back. Everything seemed normal. The Sound Box still worked, customers still paid, and life moved on.
It wasn’t until two days later, when Jayesh tried to withdraw money, that he realized something was wrong. His bank balance had dropped by ₹6 lakh overnight.
The Mastermind Behind the Curtain
This was no isolated incident. Across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Mehsana, shopkeepers were falling victim to the same scam.
And behind it all was Brijesh Patel, a former Paytm employee who had turned his insider knowledge into a lucrative fraud business.
Fired in 2021 for misconduct, Brijesh knew exactly how Paytm’s systems worked.
He assembled a team of six young men from different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, each with a role to play.
Some posed as Paytm executives, others managed the accounts where the stolen money was funneled.
The gang operated with precision, hitting multiple shopkeepers in a day before disappearing into thin air.
What made this scam particularly dangerous was how effortlessly it was executed.
Most victims didn’t even suspect anything was wrong until it was too late.
For months, Brijesh and his team traveled across cities, targeting shops that relied on digital payments.
Their plan was simple: exploit trust, manipulate technology, and vanish before anyone caught on.
How the Scam Worked
The trick was simple yet effective:
- The fraudsters approached shopkeepers pretending to be Paytm representatives.
- They offered a fake discount on Sound Box subscription fees.
- Under the pretense of an app update, they accessed the shopkeeper’s device.
- They extracted banking credentials and quietly siphoned off money.
- To avoid suspicion, they deleted transaction alerts and messages.
Most victims didn’t even realize they had been scammed until days later. By then, the fraudsters had already moved on to another city, another target.
The Cyber Crime Crackdown
When Jayesh filed his complaint, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch got involved. Investigators traced multiple fraudulent transactions, leading them straight to Brijesh’s gang. Through surveillance and digital tracking, the police finally made their move.
On a late evening raid, six men were arrested:
- Brijesh Patel (30) – The Mastermind
- Govind Khatik (23) – The Field Agent
- Parag Mistry (24) – The Tech Expert
- Raj Patel (28) – The Money Handler
- Deluxe Suthar (27) – The Recruiter
- Pritam Suthar (26) – The Lookout
The police uncovered that the stolen money was being funneled into illegal online gaming platforms, making it harder to track. But with strong evidence, the gang was finally brought to justice.
The Aftermath: The Victims Left Behind
Even though the criminals were caught, the damage had been done. Small shopkeepers who had already been struggling financially found themselves in deeper trouble.
Some had lost their life savings. Others were forced to take loans just to keep their businesses running.
Jayesh Desai, for example, had to borrow money from relatives to pay his suppliers. “I never thought something like this could happen to me,” he admitted.
“I always thought cyber fraud happened to careless people. But they were so convincing, so professional. I never doubted them for a second.”
While the authorities were able to freeze some of the stolen funds, many victims were not able to recover their money in full.
And with digital fraud cases on the rise, it’s clear that this was just one of many similar scams unfolding across the country.
Lessons to Take Away
This scam serves as a chilling reminder that fraudsters evolve with technology. Here’s what shopkeepers and individuals can do to protect themselves:
- Never hand over your phone to anyone claiming to be from a financial service provider.
- Always verify the identity of people offering financial updates.
- Monitor your bank statements frequently.
- Enable transaction alerts on multiple devices.
- Educate employees and family members about digital fraud tactics.
As digital payments become the norm, scams like these will continue to rise. The only way to stay ahead is through awareness and vigilance.
As Jayesh Desai now warns every customer who walks into his store, “If someone tells you something is too good to be true, it probably is.”
How to Report Cyber Frauds in India?
No wonder so many shopkeepers are falling victim to one or the other sophisticated cyber scams, losing anywhere from lakhs to crores.
While it’s always best to stay cautious from the start, if you’ve already been trapped in any of the cyber scams, don’t panic & act fast.
Register with us and let our team assist you in reporting your case. The sooner you take action, the higher your chances of getting recovery of your losses.
