Man falls for ‘reward’ in exchange for Re 1 note; loses Rs 10 lakh
Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI): A cashier of a state-run insurance company lost Rs 10.38 lakh after fraudsters lured him with the promise of a hefty reward in exchange for a Re 1 note, an official said on Saturday.
The incident came to light on Thursday, when the 45-year-old complainant, a resident of Mumbai’s Santacruz West, approached the West Region Cyber Police Station, the official said.
The man, who works at the Churchgate branch of the insurer, told the police that he came across an advertisement while watching social media reels on February 23.
The ad promised a reward of Rs 4.53 lakh to those producing a one-rupee note. It had a WhatsApp number, the official said.
The cashier sent a photo of a Re 1 note on the WhatsApp number, following which a person, who introduced himself as Pankaj Singh, got in touch with him. Singh said he worked at a coin shop.
The caller asked the man to fill out a form and collected Rs 6,160 for "registration". After some time, he again called the complainant, saying the earlier amount was incorrect and he would need to transfer Rs 6,107, the official said.
The caller also promised that the previously transferred amount would be refunded. Subsequently, Singh connected the complainant with another person, who identified himself as Arun Sharma.
Sharma sent the victim a letter from “RBI” about winning the reward in exchange for a Re 1 note.
However, the two smooth-talked the cashier and collected Rs 10.38 lakh from the complainant under various pretexts, the official said.
The cashier realised that he had been duped when the accused told him the reward amount could be raised to Rs 25.56 lakh if he paid Rs 6 lakh more. He then approached the police.
A case has been registered under the IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said, adding that a probe was underway.
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Miscreants decamp with 70 kg silver articles from jewellery shop in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Unidentified miscreants allegedly broke into a jewellery shop here and decamped with approximately 70 kg of silver articles worth crores of rupees, police said on Friday.
The incident was reported at a jewellery shop near 8th Mile, Havanur, on April 28, they said.
According to police, the accused are suspected to have entered the premises from the rear after breaking open the lock and drilling a hole through the wall of the shop.
The incident came to light at around 7 am on April 28 when shop staff opened the premises and discovered signs of forced entry and extensive damage to the rear section of the building, following which they alerted police authorities.
Preliminary estimates indicate that around 70 kg of silver articles, worth crores, were stolen. Most of the silver items displayed in the cupboards were taken, while valuables kept in the locker remained intact, a senior police officer said.
Police said CCTV cameras inside the shop were not functioning. Efforts are underway to identify the suspects using footage from cameras installed in the vicinity.
The miscreants also allegedly took away the Digital Video Recorder (of CCTV) of an adjacent shop, the officer added.
Investigators are also examining the tools and techniques used to gain access to the shop, suspecting the involvement of a professional gang with prior knowledge of the store layout.
A case has been registered at Bagalagunte Police Station, and further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the accused, police said.
