A 30-year-old Kartik Singh resident of Dehradun was duped of his money while trying to seek plasma for his Covid-positive mother.

Kartik Singh had put up a post on social media, requesting for plasma donation on Thursday. He said he received a call from someone on Friday, promising him that plasma has been arranged, but he will have to shell out money. Desperate to save his mother, Singh sealed a deal with the caller, who demanded Rs 2,500 to be paid through Google pay.

“I was already short of money, so I deposited Rs 300 for the time being, but he insisted on paying more,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Singh received a call from an acquaintance asking why he changed his phone number in the SOS message. Clueless, Singh found out that the message he had posted showed a different phone number.

“I informed the police as I smelled something fishy,” he said

A police team pretending to be plasma seekers then contacted the caller and asked him to meet. As soon as the accused, identified as Guru Sajan Singh, reached the venue, police arrested him and confiscated his cell phone.

Sub-inspector Mahavir Sajwan said, the phone number Singh had shared in his SOS message was replaced by the accused with his own number and was again circulated in social media groups. Donors then called Sajan to offer plasma, and the accused was asking money for plasma from Singh. Police have examined the mobile phone of the accused and found similar fraudulent SOS messages.

“The accused was arrested on Friday under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Pandemic Act.”

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