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Bengaluru Astrologer Cheats Elderly Woman of 329 Grams of Gold Using AI Video Trick
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News18•15-10-2026, 20:21
Bengaluru Astrologer Cheats Elderly Woman of 329 Grams of Gold Using AI Video Trick
- •A roadside astrologer named Venkatesh duped an elderly woman in Bengaluru of over 329 grams of gold worth Rs 40 lakh under the guise of conducting religious rituals.
- •The accused gained the victim's trust by offering remedies for her health issues, son's alcohol addiction, and daughter's marriage troubles.
- •When the woman demanded her jewelry back for Varamahalakshmi Puja, the fraudster sent a fake AI-generated accident video to avoid returning the gold.
- •Police arrested the 55-year-old accused and have recovered around 200 grams of gold so far while investigating the remaining valuables.
Key Questions Answered
The 55-year-old accused, Venkatesh, befriended the elderly woman near a hospital and later exploited her family troubles, repeatedly visiting her home around Amavasya to collect gold jewelry worth Rs 40 lakh under the pretext of performing religious rituals.
When the victim demanded her gold jewelry back for Varamahalakshmi Puja, the accused sent a fabricated WhatsApp video from his number showing him seriously injured in an accident, which the family suspected was created using artificial intelligence.
The Byatarayanapura police arrested 55-year-old Venkatesh and successfully recovered approximately 200 grams of gold jewelry from the accused while continuing efforts to track down the remaining stolen valuables.
