Young Man Loses ₹6,800 in Online Vape Scam in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A young man, new to Hyderabad, lost ₹6,800 in an online scam while trying to buy a vape — a product that is banned in India. He has now decided to file a police complaint and is warning others not to fall for similar tricks.

According to a post he shared on Reddit, the young man felt peer pressure to try vaping and looked online for options in Hyderabad. He found an image with contact details through a Google search and then contacted the seller. The conversation soon moved to WhatsApp.

The seller sent pictures of different vape flavours, and the man chose “blueberry ice.” He was asked to pay ₹1,800 through a QR code, with a promise that the vape would be delivered in 30 minutes.

Soon after, the seller claimed there were “security concerns” and asked for another ₹4,999, saying it would be refunded. Worried about losing his first payment, the victim sent the second amount too.

The scammer kept calling and assuring him that everything was fine. Later, he demanded another ₹4,999, saying the previous payment got “stuck.” That’s when the young man realized he was being scammed.

Around the same time, an SBI bank representative called him and said the account he had paid into was marked as fraudulent. They advised him to file a complaint immediately.

The victim tried to report the scam online, but the websites kept crashing. He said, “My monthly pocket money is gone. I can’t survive in this city without it.”

He has shared the scammer’s phone number and location online to alert others and plans to lodge a police complaint. In total, he lost ₹6,800.

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