TIRUPUR: Ignorance and desire to buy gold made two women the perfect prey for another 34-year-old woman, who duped them of Rs 2 lakh and six sovereigns. The woman allegedly impersonated as a bank officer and made them believe that she could arrange old jewellery kept as a mortgage in the bank at a low price. She was arrested in the city on Monday evening.
According to police, Suriya (25), a resident of Palladam, runs a makeshift flower shop at the Karampettai bus stop. There, she met Sonia (34), who used to visit her relatives in Karampettai. Sonia claimed that she is the branch manager of a PSU Bank on Uthukuli Road in the city. As the two gradually became friends, Sonia reportedly told her that she arrange old jewellery kept as a mortgage at the bank at a low price. Falling in the trap, Suriya with her friend Kalpana (32) met her outside the bank on March 16. While Surya gave her Rs 2 lakh in cash, Kalpana gave Sonia her six-sovereign gold chain. Sonia reportedly did not allow them to enter the bank. She explained to them that as auditing for the financial year ending was underway, nobody was allowed inside. Thereafter, she went inside the bank.
When after waiting for hours, Sonia did not return, Suriya and Kalpana went inside only to find out that they were cheated. The officials informed them that no person of the name Sonia works with them. Also, old jewellery kept as a mortgage cannot be sold according to law.
The duo lodged a complaint at Tirupur (North) police station on March 16. Due to the lockdown, the woman managed to keep a low profile. However, the police traced her address through her number, she shared with Suriya and arrested her. During interrogation, she confessed to having committed the crime. However, the police could not retrieve anything as she claimed that she had spent them all during the lockdown.