Police caution people against tricky online deals in Mewat region

Fixing low price business deals advertised on online market websites may land you in the soup, especially in Rajasthan's Mewat region. Over 85 people were arrested in nearly 50 cases of robbery and fraud registered in last one year in Bharatpur and Alwar district of Mewat region where robbers lured people from across the country through online retail stores in Mewat,police said. The menace has forced the police to put up boards, flex sheets and raise awareness about it on social media cautioning people about the ruse. Bharatpur Superintendent of Police, Anil Kumar Tank said that cases of robbery and fraud were not new in Mewat region. Earlier, fraudsters used to make random calls to invite prospective customers in Bharatpur by offering them gold bricks at lucrative rates. Now,some online retail marketing portals have become a convenient way to lure people by offering lucrative deals. From January 2017 to January 2018, 46 cases of such online fraud and robbery were registered in Bharatpur, in which nearly 65 people were arrested and recovery was made. He said that people get attracted to online lucrative deals and land up in soup after reaching Bharatpur and regions of Mewat. We have put up sign boards, flex sheets and also had to make people aware on social media to not fall pray to such advertisements. In May last year, a Chennai-based scrap dealer was abducted for ransom of Rs 90 lakh from Jaipur International Airport and was taken to Pahari area in Bharatpur. Three people, including two women were arrested. In August 2016, a Pune-based businessman was also abducted.

He was released on a ransom of Rs 29 lakh. The accused were arrested later, police said. It is quite a challenge to nail the accused as Mewat region comprises Bharatpur,Alwar and some parts of Harayana. Being a neighbouring district of Uttar Pradesh, the challenge gets tougher, Tank said. Every year, almost a similar number of cases are registered in the region, police said. In Alwar, nearly 20 people were arrested in over six online fraud and robbery cases in last one year. Being an adjoining district to Bharatpur, Alwar too is not spared from online fraudsters. Every year such cases are registered where people get lured by fancy car or other business deals and find themselves in major trouble. We have arrested nearly 20 people in over half-a-dozen cases in Alwar in last one year,Alwar SP Rahul Prakash told PTI.

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