Mysuru: A gang of fraudsters allegedly executed a film-style heist in the Anandapura police station limits of Sagara taluk, cheating a Mysuru resident of Rs 9.60 lakh and two mobile phones by luring him with a fabricated story about a hidden treasure of gold coins. Police have registered a case and launched a search operation to trace the accused.
The victim, J Jagadish (41), a resident of KR Pura in Mysuru, filed a complaint with the Anandapura police. Based on his statement, police have registered a case against a man identified as Manju and five other unidentified individuals.
Scam began with a phone call
According to the complaint, the incident began on June 1 when Jagadish received a call from an unknown person claiming to have discovered a hidden treasure containing gold coins. The caller allegedly offered to sell the coins at a price far below market value.
To convince Jagadish, the caller reportedly showed the coins during a video call and claimed they were part of an ancient treasure trove. The visual demonstration is said to have helped gain the victim’s confidence.
Believing the claims, Jagadish agreed to explore the offer further.
Genuine gold coin used to build trust
On June 2, Jagadish travelled to Harihar after being instructed by the accused. There, two members of the gang allegedly handed him a gold coin and asked him to verify its authenticity.
After returning to Mysuru, Jagadish reportedly got the coin tested and found it to be genuine gold. This significantly increased his trust in the group and convinced him that the larger cache of coins being offered was also authentic.
Investigators believe the use of a genuine gold coin was a deliberate tactic employed by the fraudsters to establish credibility and persuade the victim to invest a large sum of money.
Victim arranged Rs 10 lakh for deal
The accused allegedly contacted Jagadish again on June 3 and offered to sell half a kilogram of gold coins for Rs 10 lakh.
To arrange the funds, Jagadish reportedly obtained a loan of Rs 10 lakh from a finance company by pledging property documents and issuing a security cheque.
The following day, he set out with the money to complete the transaction.
Film-style heist unfolds in village
On the morning of June 4, Jagadish, accompanied by his son-in-law Manoj and driver Rohit Singh, travelled to Joginagadde village in Sagara taluk as instructed by the accused.
According to the complaint, while the main accused Manju and an associate were checking the cash brought by Jagadish, four unidentified men suddenly arrived on two motorcycles.
The newcomers allegedly pretended to be police officers and began aggressively questioning Jagadish and his companions. They reportedly demanded to know where they had come from and whether they were involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking.
The sudden arrival created panic and confusion among those present.
Accused flee with cash and phones
During the commotion, the original fraudsters allegedly shouted that police had arrived and quickly grabbed the bag containing Rs 9.60 lakh.
Police said the accused also fled with the bag of purported gold coins before escaping from the scene.
The men posing as police officers allegedly seized the mobile phones belonging to Jagadish and his son-in-law, who was recording the incident, and fled on their motorcycles.
By the time the victims realised they had been deceived, the entire gang had disappeared.
Police launch manhunt
Following the incident, Jagadish approached Anandapura police station and lodged a formal complaint.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the fraud. A team led by PSI Praveen is currently working to identify and trace all those involved in the crime.
Investigators are examining call records, mobile phone data and other available evidence to track the accused and recover the stolen money.
Officials suspect that the gang may have used a well-planned strategy involving multiple individuals playing different roles to gain the victim’s trust and execute the fraud.
Conclusion
The incident highlights how organised fraudsters continue to use elaborate schemes and deception to target unsuspecting individuals. Police have urged the public to exercise caution when approached with offers involving treasure finds, gold deals or unusually lucrative investments and to verify such claims through lawful channels before parting with money.