‘Gold-plated’ idols new telesale con

CHENNAI: Telemarketing swindles may not be new but the city police have recorded a new version of the scam, receiving a complaint about a man tricked into buying a fake Dhan Lakshmi yantra, a gold-plated pendant or idol that is supposed to bring wealth and prosperity.
An electrician from Mysuru who was cheated with the fake version of the yantra arrived at the city police commissioner’s office a few days without enough money to even buy a ticket to return home.
Police officers said the man was lured by repeated telephone calls from a woman who promised to give him three grams of gold, a silver bracelet and a gift hamper for just 3,500. She made repeated calls to convince him to buy the yantra but he did not expect it to be telemarketing scam, the electrician said in his complaint.
The woman convinced him to come to Chennai, where she assured him that he could pay the amount upon receiving the parcel at a post office in Royapettah.
The electrician arrived in the city by train around a week ago and headed straight to the post office. He collected the parcel and paid the money. He opened the box and was shocked to find a small idol of Lakshmi, with some plates and chakra, a blue-beaded chain and bracelet.
“He could immediately tell that none of it was gold plated,” a police officer said. “He asked the post office about the parcel and demanded a refund. But obviously he did not get his money back. He was advised to lodge a complaint with the police.”
The electrician lodged a complaint with the cyber cell wing of the Central Crime Branch. Pleading with policemen to get his money back, he told them that he did not have the cash to return home. Policemen and women at the commissioner’s office pooled in money, gave it to him and advised him to go home.
“He told us that the company is in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. Even if we were to go to check in Chittoor, we are likely to find that it does not really exist,” the officer said.
Police have advised members of the public not to fall for telemarketing con jobs, including promises by cheats about fake articles that are supposed to contain gold.