Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Sep 23: Incidents of bike-borne miscreants falsely alerting car passengers about fires in their vehicles and looting them in broad daylight are on the rise around Channarayapatna and Maddur on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway.

Recently, Ashokvardhan from Mangaluru was traveling with his wife towards Bengaluru when two youths on a bike pointed at his car’s front tire and signalled him to stop. However, Ashokvardhan, who was alert, increased his speed. The bikers reappeared on the left side, pretending that part of the car was on fire.

Ashokvardhan eventually stopped the car, and the bikers claimed smoke was coming from the tire and urged him to open the bonnet. Aware of similar scams, Ashokvardhan did not get out of the car and sped away, avoiding the looters. He later shared his experience on Facebook.

Two other individuals from the coastal region had similar experiences. One lost Rs 7,000, while another was tricked into paying Rs 27,000 after believing the bikers' false warnings.

Ashokvardhan warned, “These looters are active on highways in less crowded areas. They should be ignored, and vehicles should only be checked in crowded places. If you open the bonnet as they advise, they create a fire using camphor and other flammable materials. They then claim a part is damaged, pretend to be mechanics, and sell fake parts, stealing thousands from passengers and drivers. Travellers on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway should remain vigilant.”