BPCL Indore Depot hit by ₹129cr scam:Accused used fleet card loophole for free fuel, FIR filed against 7 traders

A fraud worth ₹129.55 crore has been uncovered at the Bharat Petroleum depot in Manglia, Indore. The case is linked to BPCL’s fleet card system and loyalty app. Police have registered an FIR against seven traders and transporters from Indore for allegedly exploiting technical loopholes to obtain petrol and diesel without making payments. How the fraud was executed Investigations revealed that the accused took advantage of a technical glitch in BPCL’s payment gateway and loyalty app. They managed to procure fuel even though no money was credited to the company’s bank account. Fleet cards are typically issued for trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles, allowing drivers to refuel without cash. Payments are automatically deducted from the company’s bank account. Use of loyalty app and Payment gateway BPCL introduced a payment gateway facility through its loyalty app on December 17, 2021, for fleet, corporate, and individual customers. Users could recharge their wallets via net banking, UPI, or credit/debit cards. Once recharged, the wallet balance could be used to purchase fuel at BPCL stations across the country. Breach in system detected The loyalty app is integrated with Razorpay and Pine Labs payment gateways. On March 31, 2023, Razorpay’s risk assessment team alerted BPCL about suspicious transactions. Upon analysis, it was found that wallets of 1,093 customers showed recharges totaling ₹129 crore, while no corresponding amount was credited to BPCL’s bank accounts. Following this, BPCL blocked the accounts and managed to recover part of the amount. Exploiting technical glitch According to Manglia police outpost in-charge Vishwajeet Singh Tomar, the case was registered based on a complaint by BPCL’s Regional Manager (Retail), Vikrant Hathe. The accused—Vishal Singh, Shashi Singh, Dalveer Singh, Baljinder Singh, Wahid Khan, Narendra Singh Vasu, and Balbir Singh—allegedly manipulated the system to show false wallet balances. Despite knowing that no money was being deducted from their accounts, they continued to refill fuel using the inflated wallet balances. Fake wallet recharge entries Investigations confirmed that the accused used fraudulent methods to reflect fake wallet recharges in the system and continued drawing fuel. Even after BPCL demanded repayment, the accused allegedly failed to return the money. Nationwide links under probe Police have registered a cyber fraud case and stated that the scam is not limited to Indore alone. Its links may extend to multiple cities across the country. Further investigation is underway, and more accused are likely to be identified in the coming days.