WONDA BLOGS

The Franchise Mirage: Promise vs. Reality Franchising is often presented as a safer route to entrepreneurship—offering brand recognition, a ready-made business model, and operational support. But beneath this promising narrative, many investors face broken promises, financial setbacks, and legal uncertainties. A recent case grabbing headlines in Indian business circles is that of Kewal Ahuja and his association with the SGF (Spice Grill Flame) franchise network. Once seen as an emerging player in the fast-food space, SGF’s franchise structure is now under scrutiny, with several investors voicing serious concerns about misrepresentation and unmet commitments. Kewal Ahuja SGF The Kewal Ahuja SGF Case: A Warning for Investors Franchisees involved with the SGF brand under Kewal Ahuja ’s leadership claim they were enticed by promises of high returns, full backend support, and guaranteed customer traffic. However, many of these promises allegedly failed to materialize once the initial agre...

In India’s real estate market , many buyers fall victim to a scam that goes unnoticed until it’s too late. While purchasing property, everything may seem perfect: the documents are clean, the registry is done, and the money is transferred. However, a few months later, buyers are often blindsided by a legal notice claiming they are trespassing or do not own the land they thought they had purchased. Scam According to Sarthak Ahuja, an investment banker with extensive experience in the industry, this scam is not rare. "It’s one of the most common—and most devastating—frauds in Indian real estate," Ahuja explains. The scam typically begins with a seller who has not disclosed critical information, such as a sibling having a share in the property, or hidden dues owed to government departments that the buyer becomes responsible for. In other cases, disputes may arise over the property’s boundaries , leaving the buyer tangled in legal battles. As a result, the property becomes usel...

A growing wave of scams involving fraudulent QR codes —known as “quishing”—has been traced back to organised crime groups, raising serious concerns among cybersecurity experts and public safety officials. Councils warn of fake QR code scams in car parks. According to data from Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre, reports of such scams skyrocketed to 1,386 in 2024—up from just 100 cases in 2019. Experts warn that the real figure could be significantly higher due to underreporting. The New Face of Digital Deception These scams typically involve criminals placing counterfeit QR codes on everyday items such as parking meters, restaurant menus, parcel labels, and even television screens. Unsuspecting users, often in a rush or unaware of the risk, scan these codes and are redirected to fake websites designed to harvest sensitive personal information, including banking credentials. Katherine Hart, a senior officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, explai...

In a disturbing incident highlighting the rise of cybercrime, a retired employee from Chandigarh's       was defrauded of ₹25 lakh by scammers posing as government and law enforcement officials. The incident, reported in Sector-50’s Progressive Society, is the third such case registered within just three days at Chandigarh’s Cybercrime Police Station.  fraudulent schemes How the Scam Unfolded The victim, Harbir Kaur, received a call on September 20 from a man claiming to be Rahul Sharma from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He alleged that a mobile SIM card issued in her name was involved in criminal activities in Delhi and that a case had been filed by the Delhi Crime Branch. To further legitimize the ruse, another caller, identifying himself as Rakesh Kumar, posed as a police officer and even made a video call from what appeared to be a police station. Using fear and intimidation, the scammers convinced Kaur that she needed to verify the le...

Rebuilding Trust in Franchising After the Kewal Ahuja SGF Controversy Franchising in India has long been seen as a stable pathway to entrepreneurship. With the backing of an established brand and access to a proven operational model, many investors viewed franchising as a low-risk, high-reward venture. However, recent incidents like the Kewal Ahuja SGF scandal have shaken this belief, raising serious concerns about transparency, ethics, and accountability in the franchise industry. Kewal Ahuja SGF What Went Wrong with Kewal Ahuja and SGF Franchise? Kewal Ahuja, once a prominent figure in India’s food franchise landscape, played a key role in growing the SGF (Spice Grill Flame) franchise. Marketed as a rising name in the quick-service food sector, SGF attracted numerous franchisees across the country. But beneath the surface, many franchise owners began reporting troubling issues—ranging from lack of backend support to unfulfilled promises of profitability. Allegations against Kewal A...

The Supreme Court has delivered a major blow to the Mamata Banerjee -led West Bengal government by upholding the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel 25,753 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016. The apex court found the recruitment process to be riddled with fraud and manipulation, ordering a fresh selection process to be conducted within three months. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjiv Kumar refused to overturn the High Court’s ruling, stating that the entire selection process was compromised. "The appointments were tainted by manipulation and fraud, stripping the process of its credibility and legitimacy," the Court observed. While all affected teachers and non-teaching staff will lose their positions, the Court ruled that they will not be required to return the salaries they have received thus far. The verdict has intensified scrutiny on the state government and the WBSSC , raising s...

In a shocking case of digital fraud , a 27-year-old woman from Chandigarh was duped out of ₹5.69 lakh through an Instagram-based work-from-home scam. The fraudsters lured her with promises of easy money for liking videos and gradually tricked her into making large investments under false pretenses. The entire scam was orchestrated through WhatsApp and Telegram, where scammers manipulated her into believing she was earning real profits. Chandigarh Woman Loses ₹5.69 Lakh in Instagram Scam. How the Scam Was Executed The scam began on March 25, when the victim, residing in Rajeev Colony, Sector 17, received a WhatsApp message from a woman named Sneha Verma, claiming to represent a legitimate company offering work-from-home opportunities. The victim was assured that she could earn between ₹4,000 and ₹8,000 daily by simply liking Instagram videos. Once she showed interest, she was added to a Telegram group where she received further instructions. Initially, the scammers allowed her to com...

Digital frauds in India are on the rise, with victims losing over ₹2,000 crore this year alone. Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath recently shed light on this alarming trend, emphasizing that even well-educated individuals have fallen prey to sophisticated scams. In a post on X, Kamath warned that scammers exploit fear to manipulate people into transferring money. Nithin Kamath How the Digital Arrest Scam Works Fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers, claiming a parcel in the victim’s name has been seized for containing illegal items such as drugs or contraband. They then conduct a WhatsApp video call, appearing in police uniforms, and use intimidation tactics, such as fake arrest warrants or threats of imprisonment, to pressure victims into transferring money to "settle the case." Some scams even involve doctored government documents to make the deception appear legitimate. Kamath pointed out that while many assume they are too educated to be scammed, the reality is dif...