Chennai: Not stopping with robbing a mobile phone from an elderly wheelchair user through devious means, a robber also took Rs 3,500 from his son through UPI by calling and telling him that his father met with an accident and he needs the money for hospital expenses.
Periamet police arrested the accused based on a complaint from Kadhar Basha (65) of Banavaram in Ranipet, who had come to the city a few days ago to spend time at a mosque in Periamet for Ramzan.
At noon, when Basha was near the mosque, a man approached him claiming that his phone battery had died and that he needed to make a quick phone call.
Basha gave him his phone and after making a call, the man engaged in small talk with him, enquiring about his family, learning their names and when Basha was distracted, he fled the scene.
The man then made a phone call to Basha’s son and told him that his father had met with an accident and that he was rushing him to the hospital. He told the son to send him Rs 3,500 through UPI transaction.
Basha learnt about the con after speaking to his son and then filed a complaint with the Periamet police. Police reviewed CCTV footage and zeroed in on the suspect and arrested Sameer Basha (28) of Avadi on Saturday.
Police recovered the stolen phone and Rs 1,900 cash from him. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.