Haveri: In an unprecedented cyberfraud case in Haveri, a 23-year-old pharmacist fell victim to an elaborate scam, losing gold ornaments worth Rs 15 lakh to an online gang. The young woman, who completed her B Pharma and works at a private hospital in Haveri, was deceived by fraudsters posing as astrologers. The case was registered at the Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) police station in Haveri.The victim surrendered gold ornaments weighing 165gms between March 23 and June 9, 2025, before approaching the CEN. The authorities then registered a complaint and initiated investigation.SR Ganachari, circle inspector, said that the victim discovered an advertisement for Astrotalk mobile app on her Instagram profile, which offered astrological services. She contacted the suspects through the app and discussed her concerns via text messages. The fraudsters sent her a yantra, along with vermillion and other items, after receiving payment online.Subsequently, a person identifying himself as Ganesh Shastri contacted her, warning that she would encounter serious life problems. When the victim sought solutions, the suspect suggested a special puja at their ashrama in Mysuru. Ganesh Shastri instructed her to provide all gold ornaments for the ritual and arranged for his associates to collect them in Haveri.The woman gathered all the gold ornaments from her parents and without their knowledge she handed these over to the suspect’s associates, Chandan and Guru, at the Haveri bus terminal. The associates maintained contact for three days before their mobile numbers became unreachable.The incident came to light after 15 days when her parents discovered the missing ornaments. The victim then disclosed the entire incident to her parents and filed an FIR with their support.
