A Bengaluru man, aged 57, was detained by the cyber police in the city’s south region on Wednesday after he allegedly operated a fraudulent website offering High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) to unsuspecting customers.

The accused, identified as Vinod Bawde, ran a scam where he charged individuals more than the government-set price for the plates. In some instances, customers paid for the registration plate but never received it.

As per official procedures, to obtain an HSRP, a person must visit the government portal (transport.maharashtra.gov.in), upload required documents, and pay the fee for the plate to be sent. However, Bawde set up a misleading website, indnumberplate.com, which misrepresented itself as an authorized service for HSRPs.

When people searched online for number plates, his website appeared in the search results, leading them to unknowingly make payments through his platform. Unfortunately, many victims never received the promised plates.

Authorities revealed that Bawde had tricked approximately 40 individuals, leaving them frustrated and financially harmed.