Mangaluru: 57-year-old woman loses Rs 13.38 lakh in online fraud
Mangaluru: A 57-year-old woman from Mangaluru became the latest victim of an online fraud, losing Rs 13.38 lakh to a group of fraudsters posing as a London-based woman and her associates.
The complainant reported that in February, while watching reels on Facebook, she received a message from a woman named Lillian Mary George, who introduced herself as being from London, Deccan Herald reported on Wednesday.
The two began chatting, and over time, the woman built a rapport with the victim. On November 15, the complainant received a call from a woman named Sonali Gupta, who claimed that Lillian had just arrived at Mumbai International Airport. Gupta informed the victim that Lillian was carrying £25,000 in traveller’s cheques and 1 kg of gold, worth approximately Rs 30 lakh.
Lillian reportedly told the complainant that the money would be handed over shortly. However, citing various reasons, such as issues with currency exchange registration, customs declaration, money laundering charges, and other excuses, the fraudsters provided several different bank account numbers and urged the complainant to transfer money for various payments.
Falling into their trap, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 13.38 lakh in multiple installments. When she failed to receive the promised funds, she contacted the fraudsters, who assured her that the money would be refunded within two days. However, the promised refund never materialised.
A case has been registered at Mangaluru East Police Station, and authorities are investigating the matter further.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
