Fake dealership or franchise offer collects registration fees then vanishes
Fraudsters impersonate major brands (Tata, Reliance, Amul, BPCL) offering exclusive dealerships or franchise agreements. They collect registration fees, security deposits, and GST payments — then vanish. No dealership exists.
Also known as: fake dealership offer scam, franchise fraud India, fake Amul parlour scheme, fake HPCL petrol pump dealership, Patanjali distributorship scam, fake Reliance franchise offer
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Verify any dealership or franchise offer directly on the brand's official website or with their corporate customer care before paying anything
- 2 Never pay registration fees, security deposits, or GST into a personal account or individual UPI — legitimate distributors pay to company accounts only
- 3 Check the company's registered office address on MCA21 (mca.gov.in) and call the brand's published local office to confirm the offer is genuine
- 4 If you have already paid, immediately call your bank to flag the transaction and attempt a chargeback or freeze
- 5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ The offer arrives via WhatsApp message or unsolicited cold call — legitimate brands do not recruit dealers this way
- ⚠ You are asked to pay a registration fee, security deposit, or processing fee before any written agreement is signed
- ⚠ Payment goes to a personal bank account or individual UPI ID, not to the brand's corporate account
- ⚠ After each payment, a new charge appears — GST, RBI compliance fee, insurance premium, or municipal clearance
- ⚠ The brand's official website or customer care has no record of the scheme or the caller's name
Known variants
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L&T procurement impersonation (August 2026): caller poses as Larsen & Toubro purchase officer, offers a bulk supply contract, then demands ₹49,000–₹2 lakh 'empanelment deposit' via a fake vendor portal. Contact goes silent after payment. Real L&T vendor registration at lt.com/vendor is free.
Last seen: 8/18/2026