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Srinagar Jewellery Scam: Woman Flees with Rs 17 Lakh in Gold Ornaments

A woman has allegedly cheated multiple Srinagar jewellers out of lakhs of rupees through an elaborate scam. She visited shops posing as a genuine customer wanting to show ornaments to family before purchase. After gaining trust, she would disappear with the gold ornaments and switch off her phone. Police are now investigating the frauds which total over Rs 17 lakh across three different jewellery stores.

Key Points: Woman Cheats Srinagar Jewellers of Lakhs in Gold Fraud

  • Woman targeted three jewellery shops in different Srinagar locations over one month
  • Used fake cheques and family preview excuse to gain shopkeepers' trust
  • Total losses exceeded Rs 17 lakh with individual losses up to Rs 7 lakh
  • Police investigating links to known history-sheeter Ajaz Ahmad Khan
2 min read

Woman allegedly cheats Srinagar jewellers of lakhs of rupees

Multiple Srinagar jewellers report being duped by a woman using fake cheques, with total losses exceeding Rs 17 lakh in coordinated gold ornament scams.

"The accused, posing as a customer, would visit jewellery shops claiming she wished to show ornaments to her family before confirming the purchase. - Police Documents"

Srinagar, Nov 5

A woman fraudster allegedly cheated several jewellers in Srinagar of lakhs of rupees, local dealers said on Wednesday.

According to the goldsmiths, the woman has cheated several gold and copper dealers of valuables worth lakhs of rupees through deception and fake cheques.

Addressing a press conference here, the dealers said that at least three jewellers -- Shah-e-Hamdan Ornaments at Lal Bazar, Maqdoomi Zevraat near Nawa Kadal, and Zarger Jewellers at Soura -- have fallen victim to the same fraudster over the past few months.

The goldsmiths said that the incidents took place between late July and late August this year, involving losses amounting to more than Rs 17 lakh in total.

Documents displayed at the press briefing indicate that the accused, posing as a customer, would visit jewellery shops claiming she wished to show ornaments to her family before confirming the purchase.

After gaining the shopkeepers’ trust, she would take the ornaments and promise to return shortly, only to switch off her phone and disappear. In one case, Shah-e-Hamdan Ornaments at Lal Bazar reported a loss of ornaments worth around Rs 5 lakh on August 21.

The shop’s owner filed an FIR the next day at Lal Bazar Police Station.

Maqdoomi Zevraat near Kani Mazar, Nawa Kadal, suffered a similar fraud on August 8 with losses of approximately Rs 5 lakh.

The complainant submitted a report to Police Post Bagiyas, Srinagar.

Zarger Jewellers at Soura reported being duped of ornaments worth Rs 7 lakh on July 29. The owner, after approaching the Soura Police Station, said the police had promised action and were verifying details.

All three victims provided photographs, video footage, and fake bank cheques allegedly linked to a person identified as Ajaz Ahmad Khan, described in documents as a history-sheeter and gang member.

The cheques were reportedly used by the accused woman to convince shopkeepers of her authenticity before fleeing with the goods. Police have initiated investigations into the matter.

The victims appealed to the authorities at the press conference that efforts be made to recover the amount fraudulently taken by the imposter.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why are shopkeepers still falling for such scams? In today's digital age, they should verify cheques immediately through UPI or bank apps before handing over expensive jewellery. Basic precautions could have prevented this.
R
Rohit P
As someone from Srinagar, this makes me really angry. Our local businesses are already struggling, and now this! The police need to take immediate action. Three shops in the same area - this is clearly an organized crime. 😠
S
Sarah B
The fact that this happened across multiple months and shops shows how confident these criminals are. The police should set up a special team to investigate this pattern. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy!
M
Meera T
My heart goes out to these shopkeepers. In our culture, we often trust customers too easily. But businesses need to be more careful with high-value transactions. Hope they get their money back soon! 🤲
D
David E
This is why digital payments are so important. If they had insisted on UPI or immediate bank transfer, this wouldn't have happened. Traditional business practices need to evolve with technology.

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