Gujarat's leading textbooks printer loses Rs 26 cr in cyber fraud

AHMEDABAD: A leading textbooks printer of Gujarat lost over Rs 26 crore in a cyber fraud when the fraudster approached him with the promise to get the tender of the Tamil Nadu Textbooks Corporation for printing textbooks. In a phased manner, the conman took away Rs 26 crore in the name of advances and payment. This is the biggest cyber crime case of the state.

According to the sources at the Ahmedabad Cyber Cell police station, Gala Print City Limited's managing director was approached by a person who promised him to get the textbooks printing order from the Tamil Nadu Textbooks Corporation for which the company was asked to pay 15 to 20 percent of the total order to the fraudster as his commission.

Gala's managing director in a phased manner transferred Rs 26.78 crore into the accounts of the fraudster, who later vanished and stopped taking the calls of Gala's MD, said sources. They added that suspecting something wrong, Gala's office inquired from the Tamil Nadu Textbooks and Educational Services Corporation about the tender. To the MD's shock, the corporation denied floating or awarding any such printing order to his company.

On Tuesday morning the Managing Director lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell police station, said Amit Vasava, Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Crime Cell. The officer refused to divulge more details about the case calling it a very sensitive matter.