KOCHI: Scamsters seem to be having a field day in the state and the latest victim is an 83-year-old woman from Kanayannoor, Kochi. She fell prey to a fraudster posing as a military officer who promised her Rs 7 lakh under a supposedly special military scheme for widows. He asked her to pay Rs 10,000 as a registration fee. After gaining her trust, the fraudster tactfully stole a gold ornament worth Rs 1 lakh, claiming it was needed to cover the registration fee by pledging it. The Ernakulam Town South Police have registered a case based on the woman’s complaint, but the perpetrator remains at large due to his unknown identity.
“The scammer tricked my grandma by pretending to be a distant relative and making false promises, having observed the neighbours beforehand,” said Christon, the elderly woman’s grandson. He explained that the incident occurred around 1.30 pm on Thursday when she was returning home after purchasing essentials from a nearby shop.
He approached her as someone familiar, engaging in a casual conversation. To gain her trust, he claimed to be a close family member and the husband of one of her relatives from Perumbavoor, using information he had gathered from their talk. He then hoodwinked her by falsely claiming to be a military officer.
During the conversation, he enticed her with the promise of Rs 7 lakh through a supposedly special scheme. To make his claim more convincing, he pretended to contact someone on his mobile phone and confirmed that the scheme was still available but to a limited number of beneficiaries. He also mentioned that some of her neighbours had already received money through this scheme. Furthermore, he cleverly tampered with her SIM card to prevent her from contacting family members.
“When grandma mentioned she didn’t have enough money for the registration, he asked for her gold chain, worth Rs 1 lakh, to pledge it at a jewellery shop. When she hesitated, he deceived her by pretending to call my mother and assured her that they were okay with it,” said Christon. After getting the ornament, the fraudster absconded, he added.
Responding to the incident, a police officer from the Ernakulam Town South Police Station said, “A case has been registered against the unknown individual based on the complaint. We are actively investigating to identify the culprit behind the scam.”