Mumbai, November 7: In a bizarre incident, hundreds of people in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were allegedly duped in a "donkey milk" scam. A journalist who shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) said that a man from Tamil Nadu allegedly conned hundreds across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana of crores through his "donkey milk" scam business.

It is learnt that the accused reportedly set up a donkey farm in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district and used YouTube to spread the word about the supposed profitability of donkey milk. The fraudster allegedly claimed that people would pay INR 1,600 to INR 1,800 per litre. He also shared videos on YouTube to showcase his own donkey empire and even promised huge returns for those looking to invest money in donkey rearing. ‘Lawrence’ Fetches INR 1.25 Lakh Bid at Popular Donkey Fair in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, Surpassing ‘Salman’ and ‘Shah Rukh’.

Promoting the alleged demand for demand for donkey milk, the man travelled across towns and even held seminars and meetings. Lured by his offer of making easy money, hundreds of investors, including software engineers, started purchasing donkeys. Reporyedly, each donkey came with a hefty price tag of INR 90,000 to INR 1.5 lakh, depending on their "quality". Besides, investors also paid INR 75,000 to INR 1.5 lakh for high-capacity freezers as the scammer claimed the milk required ultra-cold storage.

While the scammer delivered on his promise in the beginning, issues erupted when the franchises called the man to sell their increasing milk supplies. The fraudster gave excuses about delayed payments and phantom pharma deals falling through. In the end, he even stopped answering calls from investors and franchise owners, thus leaving hundreds of them high and dry. Donkey Gadhraj Exits ‘Bigg Boss 18’ After PETA and PFA Call Out Salman Khan-Hosted Controversial Reality Show.

It is also reported that some investors abandoned the animals as they were unable to bear the losses, realising that they were conned. It is learned that 46 victims in Andhra Pradesh are awaiting refunds of about INR 9 crore.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 07, 2024 07:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).