SURAT - A 51-year-old woman from Surat, Gauriben Rana, became the victim of a cleverly executed scam, losing Rs 20.15 lakh in the process. The elaborate con, involving promises of cheap gold and a sob story about a sick mother, unfolded over several weeks in November 2023.
Rana, a resident of Navapura Golwad, lives and works as a zari worker. In early November, two strangers approached her home, offering gold coins at a significantly lower price. To convince her, they provided one genuine gram coin as a sample. After verifying its authenticity at a local gold shop, Rana expressed interest in buying a larger quantity.
The con artists then played on her emotions, weaving a tale of a sick mother and the need to raise money for treatment and building a new house. Coincidentally, Rana's younger son's wedding was also approaching in January, further fueling her desire to purchase the gold.
Over the next few days, Rana, driven by the promise of a good deal and the fabricated sob story, arranged the hefty sum of Rs 20.15 lakh. This involved mortgaging her own jewelry for Rs 13.50 lakh, borrowing Rs 2.50 lakh from her son, and taking an additional Rs 4 lakh from a friend.
With the money ready, Rana was instructed to meet the scammers at the Uttaran railway station. There, they took the entire sum and handed her a bag supposedly filled with gold coins. Given the festive season rush, Rana didn't immediately verify the coins and kept them at home.
However, disaster struck on November 16th when Rana visited a jeweler to get the "gold" fashioned into jewelry. The shocking news: the coins were all fakes. Panicked, Rana tried to reach the conmen, but their phones were switched off. Realizing she had been duped, Rana filed a police complaint yesterday.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of falling prey to seemingly lucrative deals, especially those involving gold and sob stories. It's crucial to exercise caution, conduct thorough verification, and avoid emotional decision-making when dealing with strangers offering quick gains. The police investigation into this case is ongoing.
