VASCO
A 75-year-old woman from Chicalim was duped into parting with her gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 1.8 lakh by two unidentified individuals posing as police officers.
According to information, the incident took place as the victim, Anusuya Velinggiri, was returning home near Vidhya Mandir School on Tuesday afternoon after completing some shopping in Vasco city.
As she walked along the road, two men on a motorcycle approached her and initiated a conversation.
Claiming to be police officers, the two men warned the elderly woman about the dangers of wearing visible gold ornaments in public, citing recent thefts and attacks on women. Pretending to be concerned about her safety, they advised her to remove her gold jewellery immediately, stating it was unsafe for her to roam with so much gold.
Trusting their words and believing them to be genuine officials, the unsuspecting woman complied. She removed her gold chain and two bangles as instructed. However, before she could react, the two men grabbed the ornaments from her hands, got back on their motorcycle, and sped away from the scene.
By the time Velinggiri realised that the duo were conmen impersonating police personnel, the culprits had vanished. The stolen jewellery is estimated to be worth around Rs 1.8 lakh.
The incident left the woman shaken and prompted an immediate alert in the area.
Sources further revealed that a similar incident was reported later in the day from the Arlem area of Margao, where another woman was targeted using an identical modus operandi. In both cases, the fraudsters posed as police officers and manipulated the victims into voluntarily handing over their ornaments.
Vasco police have registered a case and launched a thorough investigation into the matter. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas and coordinating with other police stations to determine if the same culprits were involved in both incidents.
Police have also issued a public advisory urging citizens, especially senior citizens, to remain vigilant and not to trust individuals claiming to be officials without proper identification. Authorities have requested the public to report any suspicious activity immediately to the nearest police station.
