Tirupur man dupes Chennai couple

Coimbatore: A Chennai-based couple was duped of Rs 4 lakh by a man from Avinashi near Tirupur, who had promised to arrange them a loan of Rs 1 crore.
Police said Alwin Rai, a resident of Perumalpuram extension in Tambaram in Chennai, wanted to expand his truck transport business and was looking for a loan. His wife Jennifer was told by one of her friend, Kiruba, about an advertisement in a newspaper that promised financial assistance for business purposes. Jennifer contacted the mobile number in the advertisement. The person who spoke to her gave her the contact number of one Acharya, and asked her to approach him for loan.
“As per the complaint, Acharya agreed to arrange for a loan of Rs 1 crore, but said the document charges would amount to Rs 4 lakh, which needed to be paid upfront. He also asked Alwin Rai to come to Avinashi on August 26,’’ said a police officer. Acharya had told the couple that he would give Rs 55 lakh in person and the remaining would be transferred online.
Accordingly, the couple reached Avinashi on Wednesday and met Acharya at a hotel near the national highway on the outskirts of the town. The couple gave Rs 4 lakh cash to Acharya, who then handed them a briefcase which, he said, had Rs 55 lakh cash, the first tranche of the loan.
After he left the place, the couple opened the briefcase and to their shock, found that the notes were fake. TNN