Atul Parchure, who is known for his comedic roles in Marathi and Bollywood film industry, was recently (March 11) duped of Rs 17,641 through a shopping portal. Yes, you read that right! The actor, who was attempting to purchase a shoulder bag which he had seen on sale online, was scammed. Reportedly, Atul, who was lured by a 55 per cent sale on the product, fell for the bait and placed an order for the bag. According to the police, in his statement, the actor, who was to opt 'cash on delivery, was further lured by 8% (around Rs 2,000) on the price of the bag (which would eventually cost him only Rs 17,233) if he opted for online payment. Ex-pacer Kulkarni Hails `Paddy' Shivalkar for His Dedication

According to the police, in his statement, the actor, who opted for online payment, reportedly transferred the amount suggested by the fraudsters to a Paytm account but did not receive the delivery of the product for over a month. On not receive the bag, Parchure contacted the customer care service and even emailed them while he received a reply stating that the delivery was delayed and assured the product would reach him after March 30. However, Atul have registered a case against unidentified online fraudsters for cheating him at the Dadar police station on April 12.

Atul's statement read, "The online advertisement claimed the actual cost of the bag was Rs 42,615, but offered it at a discounted price of Rs 19,176. A police officer from Dadar police station said, "Parchure decided to purchase the bag and used the ‘pay-on-delivery’ option. On March 12, he received a call from an unknown number. The caller lured the actor to pay through the online mode instead and offered a discount of more than 8%," further adding, "Parchure made the online payment of Rs 17,641 through an online payments app."

Meanwhile, talking about the whole incident, Parchure, in a statement to Hindustan Times, said, "I believed that the online payment portal was authentic and that I would not be cheated." The actor, who has lodged a complaint with the Dadar police and is hoping to get his money back, further added, "I believe in the police and am waiting for the investigation team to trace the accused."

On the other hand, the police said, "We are attempting to trace the accused using the IP address and the mobile number used for the fraud." Dadar police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Information Technology Act.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2019 12:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).