Kattappana cardamom merchant foils online scam with fake payment screenshot

A spice merchant in Kattappana has narrowly escaped falling victim to an online scam after detecting a fraudulent digital transaction. The scammer attempted to swindle five kg of premium dried cardamom from the trader using a forged bank payment receipt.

The incident involved PM Nijaf, the owner of Nijaf Spices in Kattappana. The fraudster contacted Nijaf through social media, introducing himself as Bhagirath Kumar from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. He expressed interest in purchasing high-grade dried cardamom, and Nijaf quoted a price of ₹3,750 per kg. Once the shipping details were finalised, Nijaf informed the buyer that the total bill, including GST and courier charges, amounted to ₹20,240.

Shortly after, the buyer sent Nijaf a screenshot of an online bank transfer, claiming the payment had been successfully processed. Trusting the receipt, Nijaf packaged the cardamom and dispatched it to the address provided in Rajasthan via India Post.

However, Nijaf grew suspicious and decided to check his bank statement later in the day. Upon discovering that no funds had been credited to his account, he realised the screenshot was a sophisticated forgery. He immediately contacted India Post officials, filed a formal complaint, and managed to successfully halt and recall the parcel before it could be delivered to the scammer.

According to Nijaf, this is not an isolated case of digital fraud in the region. He revealed that several other spice dealers operating across the High Range area have fallen victim to identical scams in recent months. Cyber criminals have been increasingly targeting local agri-traders by leveraging fake online transaction proofs, highlighting the urgent need for merchants to verify bank deposits before shipping valuable commodities.