Last week, something unexpected happened with one of our clients.
He was sending goods from Delhi to Kanpur in a private vehicle — a routine delivery.
Everything seemed fine, until about 30 minutes before the vehicle reached Kanpur, he received a call.
The caller introduced himself as a GST Officer.
He claimed that the vehicle had been confiscated because the e-invoice was manually signed, not digitally signed.
Naturally, the client panicked.
The “officer” sounded authoritative and even mentioned the vehicle number and details of the driver — things that made the call sound legitimate.
Then came the next line every business owner dreads:
“You’ll need to pay a penalty to release your goods.”
What Actually Happened
Instead of rushing into payment, our client did one smart thing — he called his driver.
The driver calmly confirmed that the vehicle was on its way and only 15 minutes away from delivery.
No officer had stopped or confiscated the car.
Turns out, the entire call was a scam.
The fake “officer” had somehow accessed the vehicle details from the e-way bill system — possibly through misuse or leak of publicly available data — and then:
1️⃣ Called the transporter company pretending to be an official,
2️⃣ Got the driver’s contact details, and
3️⃣ Tried to extort money from the owner using fear and urgency.
The Bigger Lesson
These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
And while this client caught the fraud in time, many don’t.
Some end up transferring “penalty” amounts on the spot — all because the scammer sounds convincing.
What You Should Always Do
✅ Stay calm. Never act on fear or urgency.
✅ Confirm directly with your driver or transporter.
✅ Call your CA or tax consultant before paying anything.
✅ Verify officer credentials from official GST portals or helplines.
And most importantly — don’t share invoice or e-way bill numbers on random calls.
Final Thought
Technology has made compliance transparent — but it’s also made scams easier.
Be cautious, verify every communication, and never act without confirmation.
At CFO Emeritus, we regularly guide clients through GST compliance and help them stay safe from such operational traps.
📩 If you ever face a suspicious GST-related call or demand, reach out before reacting —
Email: office@cfoemeritus.com
