Fake Baba, Phantom Snake & ₹31,200 Gone: Bizarre Fraud Hits Indore Family

Indore, Madhya Pradesh: A family from Khajrana was swindled of ₹31,200 by a cyber fraudster who pretended to be a spiritual leader, resulting in a hoax snakebite incident. The victim, Firdos Shah, discovered the fraud when his mother-in-law received a call from an unknown number claiming to be a Baba from a famous dargah. The caller falsely predicted that Firdos's youngest son would be bitten by a venomous snake and offered to perform rituals to prevent the tragedy for ₹6,200.

Firdos transferred the money in installments, believing it was necessary to protect his son. The fraudster then called again, demanding a staggering ₹25,000, claiming it was a deposit for the ritual. When Firdos had no more money, the scammer threatened that the son would die if the payment was not made immediately. The family alerted the Khajrana police, who registered a case under fraud-related sections and initiated an investigation.