Police reluctant to halt if they pass before them wearing those stickers, unable to identify, says complaint; target women

MUNDAKKAYAM: Liars and imposters are thriving in hilly areas, inhabited mostly by farmers and common men. These people are ready to guise themselves in any manner in order to deceive the common people. They have appeared in many places as agriculture department officials, housing officials, police and journalists. They deceive people after promising to help them. The main fraud is to find homeless and financially backward people and promise to grant them houses from the government.

These fraudsters will arrive at people’s doorsteps guising as taluk office employees or housing department officials. The first step is to win their trust by telling them that the government has allotted houses from them. The next step is collect money from them as beneficiary contribution. Soon after receiving the money, the gang will flee the place. Many frauds are conducted under the pretext of providing health insurance and agricultural assistance as well.

Those who launder money in the name of financial loans mainly approach women. Such gangs are led by women as well. Last day, a number of housewives had lodged a complaint with the Mundakkayam police against a woman who allegedly swindled lakhs of rupees by promising a loan from the tribal department.

Press everywhere

Fraud under the guise of journalists is widespread in the area. They have press stickers on their vehicles enabling them to escape the police. Those spreading news on social media also possess fake identity cards. There are a lot of police complaints lodged against such gangs. The main challenge faced by the authorities is to identify certified journalists amongst the fake ones. The intelligence unit has been monitoring such people who are blackmailing and harassing even the local police on social media.