In a crackdown on digital payment fraud, police arrested two local men accused of systematically cheating petrol pumps across the Sriganganagar district by using cloned mobile payment apps.
The suspects, Preetpal Singh (24) and Pushpendra Singh (23), allegedly posed as regular customers, filling large quantities of diesel into their vehicle and containers, then displaying fake “successful” payment confirmations from counterfeit apps before fleeing the scene.
According to police, complaints came in from multiple towns including Raisinghnagar, Gajsinghpur, Srikaranpur, and Padampur, leading to a technical investigation. The breakthrough came on August 7, when a Padampur petrol pump employee reported a fraud involving 145 litres of diesel.
Investigators tracked down the duo and seized the car used in the fraud. In one case, they reportedly stole diesel worth Rs30,000 across two stations in Srikaranpur, threatening pump staff when questioned and fleeing before the scam was uncovered.
Police believe the accused resold the fuel at discounted rates to truckers, making quick profits. The fake payment method involved cloned apps that mimicked legitimate platforms like PhonePe or Google Pay, displaying fabricated transaction screens.
Further investigation is ongoing to uncover other victims and determine if additional accomplices were involved.
