Vadodara: A Facebook advertisement promising a lucrative payout for old currency notes allegedly cost a 42-year-old farmer in Gujarat ₹1.06 lakh after fraudsters repeatedly demanded money in the name of delivering his promised earnings.
The victim, Mahendrabhai, a resident of Juni Sayer village in Vadodara district, had two old ₹5 notes and hoped to receive ₹34 lakh after coming across an advertisement offering ₹17 lakh for each note. He has lodged a complaint at Valan police station, and an investigation is underway.
According to the complaint, Mahendrabhai came across the advertisement while watching reels on his mobile phone around 15 days before the incident. He contacted the number listed in the advertisement and shared photographs of his two notes over WhatsApp.
On October 6, he received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming that a parcel containing ₹34 lakh would be delivered to him. The caller asked him to pay ₹750 as a delivery fee. After receiving a QR code, Mahendrabhai transferred the amount.
The demands continued the following day. On October 7, the caller allegedly claimed that the person carrying the parcel had been caught and demanded ₹25,500 to secure his release. Believing he would receive the promised money, Mahendrabhai made the payment.
On October 8, another caller allegedly demanded ₹53,000, claiming that more members of their team had been caught and that the payment was necessary to recover his money.
Mahendrabhai continued making online transfers in the hope of receiving the promised payout. However, after paying a total of ₹1,06,400 over three days, he realised he had been cheated and approached the police.
Police are investigating the complaint.
The case highlights how fraudsters exploit the appeal of rare-currency deals on social media, using promises of unusually high returns to persuade victims to make repeated payments. People should be wary of offers that require advance fees or additional transfers before a promised payment can be released.
Reader’s Note: Be cautious of offers promising unusually high prices for old currency notes, especially when advance payments are demanded.
