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A Reddit user has exposed a new kind of scam perpetrated by a man whom she described as 5’10” tall, who seemed kind-hearted but later pulled a con. In a Reddit post, the user detailed that the incident took place on Sunday at around 7:30 PM while she was waiting at the departure lobby of Chennai Airport.
How Did the Scam Unfold?
She said the man, carrying backpacks and a trolley, approached her and started a casual conversation. The man asked if she had some cash because he supposedly needed to transfer money via UPI, but claimed his UPI wasn’t working at that moment.
“I immediately got suspicious and told him I didn’t have cash, but he started trying to build trust saying things like ‘You’re from the same religion,’ ‘My cousin has the same name as you,’ etc. He seemed genuine at first, then requested ₹5000, promising he’d return it within 30 minutes.”
Did the Scammer Return the Money?
The Redditor further stated that the man hasn’t returned since. "I’ve called and messaged him multiple times — no response," he added.
"If anyone has faced something similar or has CCTV or airport contact info I can reach out to for this, please share. I have his phone number and UPI details, and I’m ready to file a police complaint, but any leads from this community would really help.
Please be careful if you’re traveling through Chennai Airport — this person is clearly preying on people who look approachable or kind-hearted," she added.
How Did the Reddit Community React?
The post has amassed a flurry of reactions, with several users sharing their opinions:
One user wrote: "But he started trying to build trust saying things like 'You're from the same religion,' 'My cousin has the same name as you.' How do you trust a person who says these things? Literally every red flag you mentioned says to me that this scam could have been easily avoided."
Another user said: "Rule number 1: Never trust anyone. No one would care for you too; just be smart."
A third user commented: "Dude, just because of same religion and cousin’s name, you gave ₹5000? Lol."
Another shared a similar experience: "I guess the same person reached out to me asking for cash a couple of months ago (23 August, to be precise), wearing a black jacket and carrying trolley bags. He didn’t know Tamil and was communicating in Telugu throughout the conversation. Initially, he requested me to send ₹5k, which I refused, and he kept chasing me all the way until the entry gate."
