Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 10: A person who reportedly was cheating people by offering lure of prizes to gullible consumers was arrested with the help of alert consumers from Krishnapura near Suratkal on Friday September 9 afternoon. Suratkal police made this arrest.

Ratnavati, residing in fifth block Krishnapura had received a call on her cellphone on Thursday, informing her that she had won prize worth Rs 25,000 on the basis of some items she had bought from a mall sometime back. The caller also sought address of the house, which was promptly provided. He asked the family to keep Rs 3794 in cash ready for being paid to the person who delivers the prize item.

When a man arrived at their doorstep on Friday afternoon, delivered a box along with delivery challan in the name of 777 Max Bangalore, and sought Rs 3,794 to be paid in cash, the family got alerted. Padmavathi immediately called her son over phone and opened the box in the presence of the deliverer. She found stainless steel utensils worth around Rs 500 inside the box instead of promised item worth Rs 25,000. The family members detained the person and called Suratkal police, who came there and took the man away. The police found ten similar boxes in the possession of the accused, which were meant for delivery. During questioning, he admitted to have duped a number of people in this way.

The police said that they have been receiving similar complaints about lure by offering prizes and then duping the concerned, often. They have requested the people not to fall to the desire to get high value prizes at a nominal cost, particularly when they are announced by unidentified callers.