A 55-year-old Mumbai woman fell victim to a Diwali cleaning scam, losing gold jewelry worth a fortune. ₹4 million. She had booked the cleaning service through a mobile app, which sent two people to her house. The thieves allegedly stole the valuables during the cleaning work.

The incident highlights concerns about the safety and reliability of recruiting cleaning staff through online platforms. Police arrested Arbaz Khan, 27, and detained two others for questioning.

The flight

Leena Mhatre, who lives at Rishikesh Society in Dahisar in Mumbai, booked the cleaning service on October 21, in preparation for the Diwali festival. She booked the NoBroker app service. Two individuals arrived at his home the next morning around 9 a.m. While they were supposed to be cleaning, Mhatre later discovered that her cupboard had been opened and her gold ornaments were missing.

Realizing the theft only after the cleaners had left, Mhatre quickly contacted the police to file a complaint. Authorities have since arrested Arbaz Khan, 27, who was identified as the main suspect in the theft. After reviewing the company’s CCTV footage, police identified two other individuals, Santosh Omprakash Yadav and Sufiyan Nazeer Ahmad Soudar, who are currently being questioned.

Investigation and regulation

THE police are investigating whether the NoBroker app conducted background checks on employees before hiring, the Free Press Journal reports. Officer Sandip Gorde said regulations require police vetting of all service employees, including cleaning staff, before assigning them to private residences.

“We are investigating whether NoBroker verified these employees before assigning them. The app has blocked their credentials since the incident,” Gorde told Lokmat.

Despite the growing popularity of online cleaning services, there is a worrying lack of regulatory oversight in the sector. Most platforms present themselves as reliable and professional, but few provide concrete evidence of thorough employee background checks.

This incident is a stark reminder to consumers that they must be careful when recruiting services through digital platformsespecially in the absence of strict regulatory measures. With Diwali just a stone’s throw away, the need for vigilance is more pressing than ever.