A rash of recent incidents show that a new breed of conmen the divert-and-dupe kinds is on the prowl in Bangalore's business districts
A rash of recent incidents show that a new breed of conmen the divert-and-dupe kinds is on the prowl in Bangalore's business districtsu00a0
Recent 'experiments' conducted by conmen across the city prove that a 10-rupee note is all it takes to get Bangaloreans to part with their valuables.
The modus operandi employed by tricksters in several recent incidents in city is remarkably similar. They scatter currency notes often as low as Rs 10 and use the diversion to make off with valuables. The targets too have been the same professionals and businessmen. 
For instance, on July 1, Japanese national Yukio Takeyari was robbed of valuables worth Rs 7.5 lakh. He had just stepped into a shop in Koramanagala 7th Block and on returning 15 minutes later, found that the baggage in the backseat of his car was gone.
His driver then informed him that a boy told him there were currency notes lying in front of the car, and when his attention was diverted, someone made off with the baggage.
In another case, Kuldeep Singh Rekhi, a businessman from Indiranagar who had gone to Vijaya Bank on Brigade Road, was duped in the same way. He lost a briefcase containing a DD for Rs 10 lakh, apart from his son's passport and important documents.
Similar incidents have since been reported from all over the city last week, particularly in the business districts. Taking serious note of such instances, joint commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar has cautioned people to watch out for such "attention-diverting gangs". He added that his officers have been instructed to look out for them at market places and security staff at banks and malls have also been alerted against the menace.
Double team
In the case of a civil engineer, it took two conmen to convince him. Murali Kumar R, was waiting for his friend near Big Bazaar in Wilson garden on Saturday when a man approached him and told him there were some currency notes on the road in front of his car. Kumar ignored and kept sitting in his car. Few minutes later, another manu00a0 started picking up some notes while talking on the phone. He also asked Kumar to pick the notes. When he went to pick them up, the other conman stole his laptop.
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