Delhi Jeweller Scam
Naval Kishore Khandelwal, a respected name in Delhi’s gold and silver market, recently suffered a significant setback due to a cunning scam that leveraged fake bank credit messages. Running a renowned shop at Chandni Chowk’s Kucha Mahajani, Khandelwal’s decades-long reputation didn’t shield him from falling victim to this new ploy.
During a visit to Ayodhya, Khandelwal was contacted by an individual who expressed interest in purchasing a 15-gram gold chain from his shop. Unable to visit the shop in person, the buyer requested Khandelwal’s internet banking details to facilitate an online transfer. After a short while, Khandelwal received a text message claiming that ₹93,400 had been credited to his account. Believing the message to be genuine, he even sent a screenshot to his sons as confirmation before dispatching the gold chain to the given address.
The very next day, the scammer made contact again, this time ordering a 30-gram gold chain. Following the same procedure, Khandelwal received another SMS notification, this time stating that ₹1,95,400 had been deposited into his account. Once again, a gold chain was sent to the specified address.
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It wasn’t until later that Khandelwal realized something was amiss. Checking his account statement on the bank’s mobile app, he discovered that the money had not actually been deposited. A closer examination of the SMS notifications revealed that they were cleverly crafted to resemble legitimate bank messages, leading him to understand that he had fallen prey to a scam.
“I was occupied with a religious function and failed to recognize the fraud taking place. I asked my sons to visit the bank, and they confirmed that no money had been deposited. The bank officials absolved themselves of responsibility,” Khandelwal lamented.
Unfortunately, since the bank app associated with the account was solely on his father’s phone, Khandelwal’s son, Mayank, couldn’t have detected the issue immediately. A complaint was lodged with the police, but the culprits remain elusive.
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Regrettably, Khandelwal is not alone in this predicament. Numerous other traders both within the market and beyond have also fallen victim to this scam. Yogesh Singhal, president of the Bullion and Jewellers Association, took quick action by alerting industry peers about the scheme after similar incidents were reported to him.
A complaint has also been registered on the cybercrime portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs, yet experts clarify that this particular fraud falls outside the realm of cyber law. Instead, it constitutes a case of cheating and forgery, governed by the Indian Penal Code. As cyber law expert Sajal Dhamija pointed out, this incident underscores the need for vigilance and awareness even in our increasingly digital world.
