Gurugram: Woman posts ad on website for selling guitar, duped of ₹38,000

A 42-year-old woman, a resident of Sector 50, was allegedly duped of ₹38,000 by a conman after she posted an advertisement on a website to sell her guitar, the police

A 42-year-old woman, a resident of Sector 50, was allegedly duped of ₹38,000 by a conman after she posted an advertisement on a website to sell her guitar, the police said. A fraud case was registered at the Sector 50 police station on Monday.

HT Image

The woman, a corporate trainer, said that she wanted to sell her acoustic guitar and had placed an advertisement on a mobile application wherein second-hand goods are purchased and sold.

“I had uploaded the picture of my guitar and asked for ₹38,000. Within two hours, I received a call from an interested buyer. He sounded genuine, so I didn’t doubt his intentions,” the complainant said, requesting anonymity. She further said, “He called me on the afternoon of June 3 and said he saw the advertisement and liked the guitar. He said he was looking for one to buy for his son and as he was working in Gurugram, it would be easier for him to collect it. After the conversation, he said his son did not have enough cash but he could transfer the amount online immediately.”

The woman said she agreed, as she had no reason to doubt him. The suspect further said that his son would transfer the amount to her account through an e-wallet.

“I was reluctant as I had never used a mobile wallet and was not acquainted with its features. He said it was the only payment method they had so I installed the application and configured it on my mobile. To my utter surprise, in no time, he emptied my account of ₹38,000 in five transactions and I couldn’t do anything to stop him. He left me stunned,” the woman said.

After the money was transferred, the suspect switched off his mobile phone. The woman called the bank’s customer care to block her account, net banking and debit card, and lodged a complaint regarding the fraud transactions.

A case under sections 379 (theft) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Sector 50 police station on Monday after a six-month-long investigation.

Karan Goyal, assistant commissioner of police, said they had registered the case and were conducting the investigation. “There are more than 20 such complaints and we have formed teams who are conducting raids at suspected locations. We have received a lead in the case and it will be solved soon,” he said.