Swindlers sell cab driver blank paper as dollars

Accused said they were selling him currency at lower rate as they needed money

The Vashi police are on the lookout for three men and a woman who allegedly cheated a driver in Vashi of ₹1.80 lakh by selling him a bundle of blank paper instead of U.S. dollars.

Ranjit Singh (49), an Ola driver from Santacruz, befriended one of the accused in Vashi a month ago. The man told Mr. Singh he had dollars worth ₹2.10 lakh that he was ready to sell them for ₹1.80 lakh as he was in need of money. “The accused gave him a $10 note, which the complainant got verified as real currency,” said sub-inspector Nilesh Pol.

Mr. Singh arranged the ₹1.80 lakh by borrowing money from friends and relatives. The accused met Mr. Singh under the flyover at Sector 5, Sanpada, along with two men and a woman. “They took the money and gave him a bundle wrapped in cloth. After they left, Mr. Singh found the bundle contained blank paper cut in the shape of the currency. The accused’s phone has been switched off,” Mr. Pol said.

The police have CCTV camera footage of the accused, and are also preparing their sketches.