Software employee loses ₹4.87 lakh in online house rental scam
Bengaluru: A software employee from Aadugodi lost ₹4.87 lakh in a house rental scam after unknowingly using a fake property website that closely resembled a popular online platform. The incident took place between July 20 and July 22, while the victim was looking for a rental home from Whitefield, reports Bangalore Mirror.
According to the police complaint, the victim found a listing that seemed genuine and contacted the supposed owners, Srinivasan and Rajendra Jain. They then directed him to two people named Dharmendra and Nandakishora, who claimed to be property managers.
The managers told the victim that several payments were needed for the “online verification” of the property. Believing them, the victim transferred ₹3 lakh to Nandakishora and ₹1.87 lakh to Dharmendra in different stages. Whenever the victim raised doubts, they insisted the payments were non-refundable and necessary for booking the house.
After sending the money, the victim found that no property had been booked. Realising it was a scam, the victim called the cybercrime helpline (1930) and then filed a complaint at the local police station.
Police say that the website used in the fraud was a fake version of a well-known property site. It looked almost identical to the original, with only a tiny difference in the website name, just a small dot that went unnoticed. The victim also relied on a virtual video tour and did not visit the property in person.
An investigating officer said that many working professionals fall for such online scams. In 2024, around 1.6% of cyber fraud cases involved advance fee scams, though only a small portion of the total money was recovered. In these types of scams, fraudsters ask for upfront payments with false promises of services or rewards.
In this case, the scammers pretended to be landlords and property managers, collected money for supposed verification, and then disappeared. Police have urged the public to double-check property details, visit the site if possible, and avoid making payments without proper verification.
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Woman threatens to end life as police official refuses to accept love proposal, FIR registered
Bengaluru (PTI): A woman was booked on charges of obstructing a police inspector from discharging his official duties and threatening to commit suicide if he did not accept her love proposal, police said on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old inspector attached to the Ramamurthy Nagar Police Station here alleged that the woman repeatedly harassed him, they said.
According to his complaint, the harassment began on October 30, when he started receiving calls from an unknown woman from multiple phone numbers.
During these calls, she allegedly spoke incoherently and claimed to have close links with several highly placed individuals, including the Chief Minister, Deputy CM, Home Minister and other political leaders.
Police said the woman sent photographs via WhatsApp purportedly showing herself with these dignitaries and claimed she could use their influence to compel the inspector to accept her proposal. She also allegedly threatened to use her contacts against him if he refused.
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The inspector said that he advised her to visit the police station and submit a written complaint if she had any grievance. However, she did not do so and instead continued to repeatedly call and send messages, which disturbed his official duties, the FIR said.
According to the FIR, on November 7, the woman allegedly visited his office and handed over an envelope containing some tablets along with handwritten letters. The letters contained emotionally charged and inappropriate content, and the woman claimed they were written using her blood, indicating obsessive behaviour.
Despite being clearly informed that the number she was contacting was an official departmental number meant for public service, she allegedly continued making unnecessary calls and messages, causing mental harassment and obstruction to his day-to-day duties, he alleged.
During the inquiry, police learnt that the woman had allegedly exhibited similar behaviour with other police and government officials in the past, it stated.
On December 12, she allegedly went to his police station and shouted and threatened to commit suicide and ruin the inspector's career if he did not respond to her proposal, prompting him to lodge a complaint.
"Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the woman under Sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 221 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Ramamurthy Nagar Police Station. The matter is under investigation," police said.
