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Astrologer Scams Elderly Woman Out of Gold
14 Oct
Summary
- Elderly woman defrauded of 329g gold worth Rs 40 lakh.
- Accused posed as astrologer to gain trust and commit fraud.
- AI-generated video used by suspect to fake accident claim.
In Bengaluru, police have arrested a 55-year-old man named Venkatesh for allegedly defrauding an elderly woman of gold worth around Rs 40 lakh. The accused posed as an astrologer, promising to resolve the victim's family problems through pujas.
Venkatesh gained the trust of Sharadha, who was seeking help for her son's alcohol addiction and her daughter's marriage prospects. He began asking for gold ornaments for worship about a year and a half ago.
He collected a total of 329g of gold jewelry. The deception unraveled when Sharadha requested her ornaments back. The accused allegedly used an AI-generated video to fake an accident claim.
Byatarayanapura police arrested Venkatesh and have recovered approximately 200g of the stolen gold. Efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining jewelry.