MHRIL provides hospitality services across India through its official platform and offers membership packages ranging from Rs 1.60 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Members are required to pay an annual renewal subscription fee ranging from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000.
The fraud came to light on June 23, after a Club Mahindra member informed the company that he had paid Rs 1.26 lakh on May 16 for a membership upgrade but had not received any confirmation. An internal verification conducted by the company revealed that MHRIL had neither received the payment nor any request for the upgrade.
Police officials stated that several other customers were also cheated through the fraudulent scheme. The company's information technology team later detected and blocked a fake domain created to imitate the company. However, investigators found that another deceptive domain was registered the very next day.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters used fake email addresses and impersonated company representatives, including an individual who identified himself as "Suniel" through a mobile contact and another person who claimed to be relationship manager "Manish Pandey". They allegedly approached existing Club Mahindra members with false offers related to discounted annual subscription fees and membership upgrades. Several customers reportedly transferred money after being misled by the fraudulent communications.
Police officials stated that the money was routed through third-party payment gateways. The company clarified that these payment gateways are not authorised to collect membership fees or annual subscription fees on its behalf.
The complaint further alleges that the accused created fake electronic records and impersonated company officials as part of a criminal conspiracy aimed at cheating customers. The cyber police investigation is underway to identify the individuals involved and trace the financial transactions linked to the fraud.
The case highlights the growing threat of digital impersonation fraud, where criminals misuse company identities and electronic platforms to target unsuspecting customers through fake offers and deceptive communications.
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