Con artists use fake cleaning powder trick

Two swindlers carried out a jewellery fraud in Chennekoppa village, Anandapura taluk, relieving a local woman of her gold chain worth approximately Rs. 2 lakh on Tuesday, January 20.

Ratnavati, the victim, was at home around 2 pm when a man in his mid-30s to early 40s approached her, claiming to sell a white powder designed for cleaning household utensils. Soon after, a second individual arrived and promoted a red-coloured powder said to restore shine to silver and gold items.

They persuaded Ratnavati to hand over the 31-gram gold chain she was wearing which she purchased four years earlier, so they could showcase the product’s results. She was reluctant at first, but they assured her it was safe and proceeded to apply the powder directly to the chain. Almost instantly, the jewellery turned black, leading her to believe it had somehow become damaged or counterfeit.

To “fix” the issue, the conmen asked her to bring a bowl of water. They added turmeric powder to the mixture and directed her to immerse the darkened chain, promising it would regain its original lustre shortly. As Ratnavati turned her attention to the bowl, the two men slipped away on a motorcycle and escaped from the scene.

When she eventually checked the bowl after pouring out the water, the chain had completely disappeared. Realising she had been deceived, Ratnavati informed her family and hurried to the Anandapura police station to file a complaint.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar S along with Anandapura PSI Praveen inspected the location and conducted spot inquiries. A formal case has been registered under appropriate sections covering cheating, theft, and criminal conspiracy.

Investigators are reviewing any available nearby CCTV recordings, collecting physical descriptions of the suspects and their motorcycle, and speaking with neighbours to gather potential clues. This particular tactic of using chemicals to blacken gold jewellery and then removing or replacing it during a staged cleaning process, has surfaced repeatedly across Karnataka in recent times, frequently preying on unsuspecting homemakers in daylight hours.

Police have urged residents to exercise extreme caution around strangers offering instant cleaning, polishing, or repair services for gold and silver items, and to avoid handing over valuables to unverified individuals.