Bengaluru, January 31: In a shocking incident, a fraudster posing as a nursery proprietor from Kerala duped a Bengaluru man of INR 19 lakh at a hotel on St John's Road. The scam unfolded when the victim, lured by an offer of cheap saplings, met the suspect to finalise the deal at the hotel's boardroom. Trusting the conman, he briefly left his cash-filled bag unattended, only to return and find both the money and the fraudster missing. Police have registered a case and secured the suspect for interrogation.
According to a report by The Times of India, the incident took place on January 20 when Manjunatha G, a resident of Talaghattapura, Bengaluru, met the fraudster, who identified himself as Pugal Hassan from Tamil Nadu. Hassan claimed to be the owner of a 30-acre nursery in Kerala, where he grew saplings and supplied them to various states. After discussing the offer of discounted saplings, Manjunatha, who works for a private firm, agreed to meet Hassan and finalise the deal. Hassan requested him to bring INR 19 lakh in cash for the transaction. Mobile Phone Parcel Scam: Bengaluru Techie Loses INR 2.8 Crore After Using Smartphone Sent from Scammers Posing as Citibank Officials, Know How This New Cyber Fraud Happened.
Upon reaching the hotel, Hassan took Manjunatha to a boardroom on the first floor, where they were supposed to conclude the agreement. As the meeting progressed, Hassan instructed Manjunatha to wait while he stepped out for a brief moment. Trusting the fraudster, Manjunatha left his bag containing the cash on the table. However, when he returned after 10 minutes, both the bag and Hassan had vanished. What Is a Rental Scam? Here’s How Fraudsters in Bengaluru Target Renters With Fake Property Deals.
Following the incident, Manjunatha immediately alerted the police and filed a complaint at Bharathi Nagar police station. The police have since registered a case under BNS Section 305 (theft in a dwelling house, means of transportation, or place of worship) and have launched an investigation. A senior officer confirmed that the suspect has been apprehended and is being interrogated. Authorities are now working to track down the stolen money and determine if Hassan has been involved in similar scams across other locations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2025 09:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).