Bengaluru, November 28: A 27-year-old Bengaluru woman, Shivangi, was cheated of INR 30,000 in a scam involving the sale of an African Grey parrot. Shivangi, a central government employee, had been searching for the exotic bird at a reduced price and had posted about her interest on Facebook.

According to a report in TOI, Shivangi was contacted by a man from an unknown number, claiming to know a seller offering the parrot for INR 40,000, significantly lower than the market price of INR 75,000. The man sent photos and videos of the bird, describing it as a 15-18-month-old, fully tamed female with DNA certification. He claimed to have already paid half the amount and asked Shivangi to pay the remaining INR 30,000 directly to him. Online Fraud in Bengaluru: Fraudster Poses As 'Marine Engineer', Dupes Bengaluru Woman of INR 8.21 Lakh After Sending Her Marriage Proposal on Shaadi.com.

The man arranged a conference call with another individual, purportedly the seller, and provided a location: a pet shop on Infantry Road. Shivangi visited the shop, where the shopkeeper confirmed the bird’s details in Kannada, which she partially understood. Convinced, Shivangi transferred INR 30,000 to the fraudster’s UPI ID. Digital Arrest Scam in Hyderabad: SBI Branch Staff Thwart INR 13 Lakh Scam Targeting Senior Citizen in Telangana.

However, when she asked for the bird, the shopkeeper denied receiving any payment and suggested she had been scammed. Shivangi suspects collusion between the fraudster and the shopkeeper, as the shopkeeper recognized the bird from the photos.

A police complaint has been filed under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are investigating to trace the fraudster.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 28, 2024 05:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).