While everyone is working hard and hustling to thrive and be successful, some people think that easy money could be a quicker way to success. But while winning lottery and gambling require lady luck to be by your side, there’s absolutely no cure for gullibility. In that case, it’s the scammers who end up being the lucky ones, not you!
Haryana has been reported to be teeming with such scandalous ‘gangs’, that have scammed the unsuspecting people for their money against fake gold for some time. As per the reports by Hindustan Times, there had been plenty of reports from people across the country, who’ve fallen victims to these schemes. One such case is that of a 30-year old Nadaf from Sangli, Maharashtra, who fell victim to one such gangs, last year.
Sikandar Babulal Nadaf received a call that claimed to give him ‘Mughal-era’ gold, which could make him filthy rich. The caller asked him to come to Nuh district, Haryana to complete the trade. The trade included 4 ‘antique’ gold bars, each weighing 800 gram, against a rather cheap price of ₹34 Lakh.
Nadaf was skeptical at first and asked for a sample of the gold. But reportedly, the sample they provided with, actually turned out to be gold. This built his faith in the deal, and he ended up buying the ‘antique gold’. He took this 3200 gram of gold to Delhi, but when he tried to sell it to a goldsmith, the antique ‘Mughal-era’ gold was revealed to be brass.
Sadly, Nadaf wasn’t the only one scammed by the Tatlu gang – one of the many rackets operating from the remote locations in Haryana. The Tatlu gang itself has conned more than 200 people with their scheme of ‘Mughal-era’ gold. Most of these cases traced their steps back to Haryana, especially Nuh, demarcating the root of the cause.
According to the investigations, there are several gangs, often made up of around 6 members, that usually operate by setting up a call center in remote villages, buy data in the black market and scam people in the name of ‘Mughal-era’ gold bars. Police added that the targets have been from Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP and even the North-eastern states.
A word of caution has been shared by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage asking anyone buying any item claimed to be antique must demand registration papers from the seller. They informed people, saying, “whenever, an antique with historical value is found, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) registers it. Also, if an individual finds any such artifact, he has to get it registered with the body under the ASI Antiquity and Treasures Act, 1972.” They added-
“It is a crime to sell and buy unregistered antiquities, so even the buyers are culpable. If one has to buy antiques, it should be done with proper paperwork or from registered auction houses or museums and collectors.”
So, in case you get a call from anyone trying to sell you ancient ‘Mughal era’ gold, you should know what to do about it!