CID busts lucky dip scam, 1 held

The Cybercrime Division of the CID Karnataka busted a lucky dip scam operating in Karnataka and adjoining states by arresting a 60-year-old man, who was running the operation for the past four years.

The accused has been identified as Suhail Khan, a resident of Venkateshpuram in Bengaluru. Sleuths seized mobile phones, laptops and other office gadgets worth Rs 26 lakh.

The CID will also write to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to attach the movable and immovable properties of the accused persons.

Explaining the modus operandi, officials said the accused were collecting mobile phone numbers of gullible people by various means.

Using appointed telecallers, people from Karnataka and adjoining states would be called to inform that they have won a lucky dip prize.

Subsequently, they would ask for the postal address in order to send gifts.

The accused would inform the victims that they would have to pay only the postal charges.

But instead of mobile phones, they would send cheap kitchen items through post office by means of value payable post (VPP).

There were two types of VPP charges - Rs 1,400 and Rs 2300. When the recipients received the parcel after paying the VPP charges, instead of phones they found only cheap kitchen wares after which they filed complaints with their respective police stations.

Since the complaints kept growing, the case was investigated by the cybercrime division at the CID and the police identified the culprits who were operating under the banners of RK Marketing, SK World and A-One Marketing. Further investigations are underway.