Stories
Passenger Scammed Out of Rs 21,100 After Helping Stranded Man at Airport
- •A passenger transferred Rs 21,100 to a young man at Navi Mumbai International Airport who claimed his flight was cancelled and needed money for booking and excess baggage.
- •The scammer used an elaborate story about a joint bank account and an unreachable mother whose phone was receiving the required OTP.
- •After transferring the money and receiving the man's ID details, the victim was blocked when he called later to ask for repayment.
- •The victim filed a cybercrime complaint but claimed local police refused to register an FIR.
- •Reports later surfaced showing a man with similar details and modus operandi had been previously arrested for multiple airport scams across India.
Key Questions Answered
The suspect claimed his flight was cancelled and he needed money for a new ticket, stating his funds were in a joint account with his mother whose phone received the OTP while she was on a plane. Believing this story, the passenger transferred Rs 13,600 and later sent an extra Rs 7,500 for excess baggage.
The passenger tried calling the man at 4 pm to ask for repayment, but the individual promised to return the money within 30 minutes before blocking him. The victim then filed a cybercrime complaint and appealed online to help identify the suspect, though he alleged the local police station refused to register his FIR.
Yes, a related report featured a picture of the accused resembling the ID card photo, identifying him as Modela Venkata Dinesh Kumar from Andhra Pradesh. He was previously arrested for posing as a student and cheating passengers across multiple airports, with over 10 cheating cases registered against him.
