A 27-year-old woman from Bengaluru’s Koramangala area was duped of ₹30,000 in a scam related to the purchase of an African Grey parrot. The woman, identified as Shivangi, a central government employee, had previously expressed interest in buying a parrot on Facebook. According to a Times of India report, she received a call from an unknown number where a man offered her a parrot at ₹40,000, well below its market price of ₹75,000.
The man, claiming to know a seller, sent photos and videos of the bird, describing it as a fully tamed, DNA-certified female parrot, aged 15-18 months. He explained that the lower price was due to his prepayment of half the amount to the seller, asking Shivangi to pay the remaining balance. Despite not sharing her phone number, Shivangi continued the conversation and was persuaded by the offer.
When Shivangi inquired about the bird’s location, the man connected her to another individual who claimed to be the seller, arranging a meeting at a pet shop on Infantry Road. Shivangi visited the shop, where the shopkeeper showed her the bird and confirmed its details in Kannada, which she did not fully understand.
After transferring ₹30,000 via UPI, Shivangi asked the shopkeeper for the bird but was told that no payment had been received. She suspected the shopkeeper and the fraudster were colluding, as the bird matched the photos sent by the scammer. The shopkeeper denied any involvement and advised her to file a police complaint.
A case has been filed under the Information Technology Act and Sections 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and police are investigating the fraud.
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