As people continue to be cheated out of their valuables by con artists on the streets of the city nearly every day, the best the police have been able to do so far is study the recent incidents and conclude it must be the same gang of con men and women everywhere
As peopleu00a0continue to be cheated out of their valuables by con artists on the streets of the city nearly every day, the best the police have been able to do so far is study the recent incidents and conclude it must be the same gang of con men and women everywhere.
The gang had a good weekend, relieving two women of their gold valuables on Saturday.
The gang's usual targets are women, especially the elderly. "It seems to be the same gang in all incidents, and its members keep changing their methods to make away with people's cash and valuables," said a police source.
On Saturday, the gang struck within the Banaswadi police station limits twice.
Chennamma (75), a Krishnappa Layout resident, was on her way home when she was offered a lift in an autorickshaw by a group ofu00a0 Tamil-speaking women near Manjunatha Medicals in Banaswadi at 11.30 am.u00a0
Chennamma realised her gold chain worth Rs 36,976 was missing only after getting off at Krishnappa Layout.
Spinster S Gopi (58), a resident of MS Nagar, Byappanahalli, who is a store assistant in a private firm, said she was cheated out of her gold chain and bangles by two men posing as police officers at Kammanahalli circle.
"I was standing near a flower vendor, when a person told me a couple of times: 'Saheba is calling.' I walked to a man on a bike he was pointing to," Gopi said. "He flashed an I-card and shouted: 'Don't you know you shouldn't wear jewellery like this on the streets.' He also shouted at a boy wearing a gold chain."
As in similar, past incidents, Gopi was told to remove her jewellery and put it away safely. "I put my jewellery, weighing 50 grams in all, in a small purse that also held two Rs 500 notes," said Gopi. "As I was tuckingu00a0 the purse into my blouse, the man snatched it and made a movement as if he were keeping it in my handbag."
She said when she walked back to the flower vendor, she checked her bag and found the purse missing.
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