MADIKERI: Kodagu Police have arrested eight accused from Hassan district for scamming customers by offering fake 'sex services'. The accused were arrested in Bengaluru and have been taken into judicial custody.
As confirmed by the police, the accused scammed people online through an illegal app called 'Locanto App' that promised sex services. Customers were required to log in to the 'Kushalnagar Top Model Sexy Aunties Service' website where they were provided with options to book 'prostitutes' online.
The incident came into light after a victim from Kushalnagar fell prey to the scam. In the complaint, the victim stated that he called a phone number available on the website where one of the accused explained that he could book a prostitute by paying Rs 1500 for an hour and Rs 4000 for a night.
The victim made a payment of Rs 1500 through online mode and was asked to come near Kaleghat Lodge in Kushalnagar for the service. He was asked to pay more after reaching the spot. However, the hotel manager denied offering any such service when the victim enquired about it. The victim later filed a complaint with the police.
Following investigations, eight accused from Hassan district including Manjunath (29), Sandeep Kumar (25), Rakesh (24), Jayalakshmi (29), Sahana (19), Pallavi (30), Abhishek (24) and a minor girl have been taken into custody. The accused have been booked under IPC sections 66 (C), 66 (D), 419, 420 and 468. The complaint was filed on June 29.
Police sources confirmed that the accused have duped several from across the state in similar incidents and have scammed over Rs 3 lakh from the victims. The investigation was led under the guidance of SP K Ramarajan by Somwarpet DySP Gangadharappa and other officers.