Major Fraud Uncovered in Gujarats Weight Loss and Skin Treatment Sector
Five individuals arrested in Surat for a nationwide scam involving fake weight loss and skin treatment products, with millions involved.
Surat, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The cybercrime branch of Surat city police has arrested five key suspects connected to a major scam that defrauded women across India under the guise of weight loss and skin treatment products. Investigators revealed that millions of rupees were transacted through bank accounts linked to the implicated companies.
The accused operated through several firms, including Curest Science and Wellness, Vedic World, Divya Antara Wellness LLP, and Glozenic Skin Care. They lured customers with advertisements on social media, promising effective treatments.
According to police reports, the suspects disguised themselves as courier delivery personnel to collect cash directly from clients while delivering parcels. The arrests followed a complaint from a woman who alleged that a person impersonating “Dr. Akash Malhotra” defrauded her via WhatsApp.
After discussing her skin issues, the accused requested an online transfer of ₹8,000 to a QR code linked to Curest Science and Wellness. However, she received weight loss pills instead. Subsequently, the suspects demanded an additional ₹9,000 for skin medications, without refunding the initial payment.
A case has been registered at the Surat Cyber Crime Police Station. During the investigation, authorities discovered that Curest Science and Wellness had previously defrauded another woman in Surat of ₹1.77 crore.
Following a technical investigation, police set up a sting operation in Surat, capturing a courier employee operating under the name Rahul Raj. This led them to a call center in Gurugram, Haryana, where around 160 employees, including tele-callers and delivery personnel, were found.
The arrested individuals include Amit Gaurav, 31, and Pankaj, 30, both directors of Curest Science and Wellness, as well as partners Roopesh Kumar and Puneet Kumar, both 43, and 24-year-old manager Deepak Kumar. The suspects hail from Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, with Puneet Kumar originally from Punjab.
These companies marketed their products on social media with appealing packaging and claims of effective weight loss and skin treatments. Customers were misled into believing their products would be delivered by standard courier services. In reality, employees were dispatched from Delhi via flights or trains to hand over parcels and collect cash.
Further investigation revealed extensive financial transactions through the company’s banking and payment accounts. From January 1 to June 29, 2026, ₹6.99 crore was deposited into Curest Science and Wellness’s IDFC First Bank account, while another ₹6.58 crore was recorded in its Kotak Mahindra Bank account from April 7, 2025, to June 29, 2026. Additionally, ₹8.30 crore was transacted through the company’s Razorpay merchant account.
