Andhra Pradesh   

Attention diversion cases on the rise

Stealing money or jewellery by diverting attention is an old method of tricksters. Yet several people continue to fall into this trap. Unable to catch the gangs that strike suddenly and disappear after a string of offences, police relied more on prevention by alerting people, but of late the case are alarmingly on the rise, both in Hyderabad and Cyberabad.

Offenders throw different baits to lure victims using this modus operandi. They drop currency notes on the ground, divert attention of people travelling in cars by asking if the notes are theirs and disappear with the valuables kept in the vehicles. In some cases, they approach housewives assuring to polish jewellery freely and take away the ornaments.

The most frequently used technique by the tricksters is to pose as police officers in plain clothes and scare people walking lonely on the road stating some murder or serious offence occurred in the locality. Pretending to be friendly, they advise the victims to remove ornaments. They steal jewellery in the guise of packing the ornaments safely and ensuring that the victim doesn't open the packet, they disappear.

New method

Now, the ‘attention diversion' gangs have adopted a new style of approaching lonely women — mostly aged — on the streets and introducing themselves as friends of their sons. They would lead the women believe her son got cash reward in some financial transaction. “The offender assures to give the money to her and acts as if he is speaking to her son over mobile phone,” say police officials. He would take her to some distance and then ask her to remove the gold ornaments she was wearing since she must look poor to secure the money. When the unsuspecting victim gives the jewellery to him for safe custody, the latter would flee after asking her to wait at some point. Several women were relieved of their ornaments in this fashion recently in Alwal zone of Cyberabad.

In these types of cheating, the offenders are targeting only aged women most of whom are uneducated. They ensure the victim is alone so that she has no option or time to check their false argument and claims. The offenders are managing to be ahead of the police by frequently changing their methods. When police publicise about pseudo police gangs, they are switching over to the new mode of handing over cash rewards.

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