IPL selection camp scam: 33 cricketers fall victim in Rajkot

New Delhi: Cricket aspirants from across the country found themselves on the wrong end of an online fraud in Rajkot on Friday.

According to a report in the Times of India, 33 cricketers turned up at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) stadium at Khandheri to vie for a place in the recently-launched Rajkot IPL team.

The boys reached the venue after responding to a fraudulent post on a Facebook page.

As per the post, a selection camp was to be conducted in Rajkot on January 15, 16 and 17.

A certain Raju Ram, the page admin, asked the aspirants to deposit trial fees ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000 for the selection camp.

"We explained to the boys that selection for such tournaments are not done through FB or social media. Any announcement of selection camps is advertised on our website," said Himanshu Shah, governing body member, SCA told TOI.

Cricketers from Delhi, Noida, Pune, Nagpur, Surat, Mumbai and Kerala had come for the selection camp.

"I saw the FB page and called on the mobile number mentioned in it. I was told to deposit Rs 500 which I transferred to the said account," said New Delhi's Sandeep Mehta.

"I have been cheated. The person called Raju Ram told us that the selection camp for IPL will be held for three days and I came all the way from Noida," stated Noida resident Yash.

The cricketers were also promised certificates and T-shirts.

Though no official complaint has been registered by the local police, but they believe someone from Pali in Rajasthan had created the FB page.