Bengaluru Woman Loses ₹86,000 in IPL Ticket Booking Scam

A shocking incident has come to light in Bengaluru where a 43-year-old woman has been duped of over ₹86,000 in an online scam while trying to book tickets for an Indian Premier League (IPL) match. The unfortunate event unfolded as the cricket enthusiast sought to secure around 20 tickets for the highly anticipated encounter between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The woman, eager to witness the clash live, turned to a Facebook page that seemingly offered IPL match tickets. In her hope to make the group outing possible, she engaged with the scammer who posed as a ticket seller on the page. The fraudster convinced her to initiate a series of transactions amounting to a total of ₹62,999 for the tickets to the match that was scheduled last week.

However, as things progressed, the scam took a sinister turn. When the woman asked for the tickets or a refund, the scammer feigned technical glitches, a classic ploy in such online scams, which raised her suspicions. Taking advantage of her urgency and trust, the scammer further demanded an additional ₹16,000. He callously insisted that without this extra payment, the tickets would not be released.

Determined not to be threatened into submission, the woman stood her ground and refused to pay the extra amount demanded. It was only then that the scammer’s demeanor turned belligerent, instructing her to go ahead and file a complaint if she pleased, before abruptly hanging up the call.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the woman decided to take action and approached the police to lodge a complaint against the scammer. She filed her grievance under two sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which pertain to cheating.

As the investigation gets underway, this case serves as a grim reminder of the rise in online scams, especially those associated with popular events like IPL matches. Cricket fans are urged to exercise caution and ensure they use official channels when purchasing tickets to avoid falling victim to similar fraudulent schemes.