VIJAYAWADA: Residents of some localities in Patamata dread to answer if anybody knocks on their door at night. It is not the fear of robbers or anti-social elements, but people who land at their door in search of a sex worker for whom they already paid.
What makes the situation scarier is the visit of these ‘customers’ at unearthly hours at these houses ‘booked for them by their agents’.
With complaints about the visit of the strangers pouring in, a new problem has been thrust upon Patamata police. Residents of Postal Colony, RTC Colony and other surrounding colonies urge the police to put an end to the nuisance.
Initially, Patamata police thought the obscene happenings were isolated cases and little did they realise that the so-called ‘customers’ were being taken for a ride by a gang by giving them false addresses.
However, the issue became serious on Monday when two residents of RTC Colony lodged a complaint with Patamata police about nuisance created by some youngsters on Sunday night demanding a refund of their money.
“The issue was so confusing for both the strangers and house owners. They (youth) paid money online to a person who offered call girl service and sent them to some randomly selected address. It’s nothing but cheating in the name of online prostitution,” said Patamata circle inspector K Umamaheswara Rao.
When police questioned the youngsters as to how they landed at the house in question, they said, “We visited a website which is offering personal services and contacted the organiser. He sent photos of some girls and asked us to pay an advance amount of Rsd 2,000. After the payment made, the organiser sent the location of the house through WhatsApp and asked us to pay the balance amount to the girl,” said the youth on condition of anonymity.
In their investigation, Patamata police found that fraudsters were luring youth with the photos of beautiful girls and collecting money from them and sending them to wrong addresses. “Not knowing about the fraud, these persons (customers who paid money) are knocking at the doors of people living in residential colonies,” the CI said.
Based on the complaints lodged, a case under IT Act was registered. “We are trying to trace the location of the organiser with his mobile number and bank account details,” said the CI.
A whole new level of Cheating
In their investigation, Patamata police found that fraudsters were luring youth with the photos of beautiful girls and collecting money from them and sending them to wrong addresses. “Not knowing about the fraud, these persons (customers who paid money) are knocking at the doors of people living in residential colonies,” the CI said.
“They (youth) paid money online to a person who offered call girl service and sent them to some randomly selected address,” said Patamata Circle Inspector.