Recent Online Shopping Scam Exposed Major Supply-Chain Fraud Involving Mau, UP -

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“102 Mau Saree Businessmen Lost ₹8 Crore over 3 Months.”

In the Mau region of Uttar Pradesh, a massive Online Shopping Scam has emerged. According to 102 saree dealers and weavers, sarees valued at around ₹8 crore have vanished over the last three months, even though refunds and order cancellations have been formally handled on the Meesho platform.

Meesho and its approved delivery partners, Expressbase and Valmo Courier Services, have been accused by the impacted traders of planning fraud, diverting returned items, and falsifying delivery records.

The Mau Kotwali police station has received written complaints, but sellers claim that neither the platform nor the authorities have responded to their repeated requests.

Traders

Every day, Mau sells thousands of sarees online, with Meesho being one of the main channels. According to traders’ estimations, over 40% of consignments fail delivery and are returned due to factors including wrong addresses, unavailable customers, or order refusal.

Refund completed, items never returned

Such returned items must be returned to the registered vendor in accordance with conventional e-commerce guidelines. Vendors claim that even though Meesho’s dashboard displays orders as “returned” and “refunded,” the actual sarees never return to them.

Sarees valued at about ₹10 lakh were reportedly returned on December 12 alone, but the sellers never received them.

Courier Partners at the Allegations Center

The charges center on Expressbase and Valmo, Meesho’s local logistics partners, which are both run by two brothers who live in the Ballipura region under the Mau Kotwali authority. Suppliers claim that the delivery companies have been purposefully stealing sarees while they are in transit.

Delivery statuses, according to a number of traders, were incorrectly listed as “completed” even when shipments never made it to clients. Deliveries were purportedly logged without OTP authentication in some instances, casting doubt on the delivery process’s integrity.

Small weavers and retailers suffered increasing losses as a result of consumers’ returned sarees not being returned to vendors or paid for.

Allegedly, courier owners became sellers

A shocking discovery allegedly surfaced during traders’ internal investigations. Vendors claim that the courier companies’ proprietors, who previously simply handled deliveries, have suddenly registered as sellers on internet marketplaces.

Complaint

The operators of the courier business are allegedly undercutting original dealers by reselling sarees they purchased from Mau weavers for ₹250 to ₹300 each. Sarees that were returned are suspected by traders of being methodically gathered, redirected, and reintroduced into the market under new seller accounts.

Demands for a forensic investigation of logistics records and seller registrations connected to the courier companies have increased as a result of this purported conflict of interest.

Anger Among Traders Is Increasing

Affected traders have been going to Mau Kotwali for the past two days in an attempt to get police help because they are furious about their losses and the lack of reaction. Many, however, lament that they haven’t been able to meet with higher-ranking police officers. Traders threaten to start protests if nothing is done right now.

Affected Vendor

“This is more than simply a financial problem; it poses a threat to Mau’s traditional saree industry’s continued existence.”

Police Response

A preliminary investigation has started, according to police officers who acknowledged receiving the written accusations. They claimed that because the issue involves intricate details of digital transaction records, transportation networks, and e-commerce activities, thorough verification is necessary before filing a formal complaint.

Senior Officer

“We will review all delivery statistics, transaction logs, and platform records. Appropriate legal action will be taken if evidence demonstrates criminal intent or misappropriation.”

Industry Issues

Serious questions about accountability and transparency in online marketplaces have been brought up by the case, especially for small and medium-sized vendors who mostly depend on outside logistics providers.

The episode draws attention to structural flaws in e-commerce supply chains and emphasizes the critical need for more stringent regulation to shield small businesses and traditional craftspeople from organized cybercrime.

About The Author

Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”

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