India, March 18 -- A Bengaluru resident lost Rs.1.4 lakh to a scammer who posed as a BBMP engineer in distress, claiming to be stranded at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

According to a report by Times of India, the victim, a 54-year-old private firm employee from Banashankari, was drawn into the fraud after his friend received a call from an unknown number on March 5.

The caller, speaking in Hindi, introduced himself as Venkatesh, a BBMP engineer, and said he was stuck in Prayagraj with his family after missing a flight back to Bengaluru, the report added.

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Since his friend struggled to understand Hindi, the victim took over the call. The call...