Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Apr 17: A fraudster operating in and around Mangaluru has reportedly cheated multiple shopkeepers out of lacs of rupees.

A man identified as Safwan has been deceiving shopkeepers for several months. In March, he visited a shop in Kadri Mallikatte under the pretext of transferring money to his account. Initially, he would return the money to the shopkeepers after transferring it from their accounts, thereby gaining their trust.

However, in April, Safwan repeated the same tactic—this time involving over a lac of rupees—and absconded without returning the amount.

Shopkeeper Sathish shared his experience, stating, “I transferred Rs 42,000 via Google Pay, and then he used some Google link to transfer more money. The total exceeded a lac.”

Sathish even visited Safwan's residence in Kuppepadav along with friends but received no response from his parents. Following the police complaint, they later returned with the police. At the location, several two-wheelers and cars were reportedly found parked.

Reports suggest that Safwan has used similar tactics in multiple locations, including Kuppepadav, Derlakatte, Moodabidri, Kutthar, and Kankanady.

A shopkeeper from Deralakatte, who runs a mobile shop, said, “In February, Safwan took Rs 10,000 and fled. Luckily, I spotted him again in March and managed to recover the money. But that same day, he also committed fraud in Kutthar.”

Another victim, Praveen from Kuppepadav, said, “He took Rs 47,000 from me and never returned it. Visiting his home is pointless, they simply don’t respond.”

Safwan also allegedly took Rs 3 lac from Gangadhar Gowda and Rs 30,000 from Altaf, an auto driver. Many victims were hesitant to file complaints earlier due to lack of evidence.