Ahmedabad: A Kalupur trader was allegedly duped of Rs 1 lakh after an unidentified man borrowed his mobile phone on the pretext of checking a bank transaction and then fled with the device, police said on Sunday.The complainant, a 40-year-old trader from Rakhial who runs a radio and speaker repair shop in Kalupur, told police that the suspect first visited his shop on Aug 27, claiming he had come from Vadodara to get a speaker repaired. After the repair was completed for Rs 1,600, the man said an online payment had failed and later withdrew cash from a nearby ATM to settle the bill.According to the complaint, the suspect returned to the shop the next day and claimed that the payment amount had been debited from his bank account. He then requested the trader’s mobile phone to verify the transaction details.While using the phone, the man allegedly received a call and told the trader that there was poor network connectivity inside the shop. He then went downstairs to attend the call and never returned.The trader later tried calling his own number but found the phone switched off. On checking his bank account, he discovered that Rs 1 lakh had been transferred from it.He subsequently approached Kalupur police and lodged a complaint against the unidentified accused. Investigators are examining bank transaction records and other evidence to identify and trace the suspect.Police are also probing whether the accused deliberately targeted the trader after gaining access to his phone and whether the initial speaker repair visit was part of a pre-planned scheme.
