A resident of Duo Heights Layout, Begur, aged 43, recently fell prey to a fraudulent scheme while attempting to secure tickets online for the highly anticipated 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) showdown between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders. The match, scheduled for March 29, was set to take place at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
In her pursuit of tickets, the woman stumbled upon a Facebook account going by the name ‘IPL Cricket Ticket’ and reached out to them to procure tickets for her friends and family. Responding to her inquiry, the account provided a mobile number, instructing her to contact it for further details.
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Upon calling the provided number, the woman was greeted by an individual claiming to be an authorized ticket seller for the IPL event. Expressing her interest in purchasing around 20 tickets, she was initially asked to send INR 8,000 to secure the tickets. Subsequently, the scammer demanded an additional INR 11,000, citing various charges.
Bengaluru Woman Loses Rs 86k in Fake IPL Ticket Scam; State Cricket Association Issues Warninghttps://t.co/IoTKIczDv7
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 3, 2024
As the transactions progressed, the fraudster continued to request further payments, with the woman ultimately losing a total of INR 86,265 to the scam. Sensing something amiss, she demanded either the tickets or a refund upon the scammer’s request for a final payment of INR 21,000. However, the fraudster insisted on an additional INR 16,000, prompting the woman to realize the deception and demand action.
Taking swift action, she filed a police complaint the following day. The Begur police station initiated a case under both the Information Technology Act and IPC Sections 419 and 420, about cheating by personation and inducing the delivery of property dishonestly, respectively.
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Additionally, it’s worth noting that IPL tickets are exclusively sold online through the RCB’s official website and offline counters sanctioned by the Karnataka State Cricket Association a few days before the game. This incident underscores the importance of exercising caution and verifying the authenticity of ticket sellers, especially for high-profile events like the IPL.
