- By Yashashvi Tak
- Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A Delhi man lost Rs 1.8 lakh after being duped by a fake priest near Akshardham Temple, along with a smartphone, smartwatch, cash, and personal documents. Sharing his experience on Reddit, he explained that an elderly, friendly-looking man approached him on a bus, struck up a conversation, and gained his trust. The victim filed a police complaint and was informed that such organized scams are common around major religious sites. Police are currently investigating the matter.
How A Man Lost His Belongings?
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The man, warm and talkative, offered to guide him around, saying, “Beta, I’ve been out and about, I can show you everything.” He also warned that the cloakroom was unsafe, claiming he had previously lost his wallet and phone there.
He then contacted someone he trusted, after which another man, dressed as a pujari, appeared and assured him, “Don’t worry, all your belongings will be safe here.” The older man acted convincingly, even offering his own phone and wallet to build trust. Believing them, the Reddit user handed over his phone, wallet, smartwatch, belt, shoes, and other items. They proceeded inside for darshan, while the “uncle” provided temple details, making the visit appear authentic.
"Then he told me he had a friend close to the temple who kept valuables safe. Before I could think properly he called someone. Within minutes a man arrived, he looked like a pujari from the temple only. He was smiling and very soft spoken too and told uncle is a regular visitor to the temple. He put tilak on my forehead and said aap bilkul chinta mat kariye, sab safe rahega idhar and then the uncle handed over his own phone and wallet right in front of me, which honestly killed any remaining doubt I had. So I also gave my phone, wallet, smartwatch, belt, shoes pretty much everything except clothes as per the rules the temple follows. We went inside and the darshan was genuinely beautiful," he explained in the post.
I was made a fool & Robbed at Akshardham Temple and lost over 1.8 lac rupees..Don’t Let This Happen to You
byu/Acrobatic-Health2681 indelhi
After leaving the temple, the man was offered a ladoo by the so-called "uncle," who asked him to wait while he claimed he was going to "deposit some money." Within minutes, the man disappeared, and shortly after, the fake pujari was nowhere to be seen. It was then that he realized he had fallen victim to a carefully orchestrated scam.
Among the items stolen were a Samsung S24 Ultra phone, an ultrawatch, a wallet containing Rs 8,000 in cash, two credit cards, a debit card, a PAN card, and a driving license, with the total loss estimated at around Rs 1.8 lakh.
He Warned Other People
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The man warned others to remain extremely vigilant and to use only official cloakrooms for their belongings, regardless of how trustworthy someone may seem. "I’m sharing this because many believe scammers will appear suspicious or act overtly shady. But this ‘uncle’ was calm, patient, and convincing. He slowly gained my trust and manipulated me into believing him. If you ever visit Akshardham or any large temple, please be careful. Never hand your belongings to anyone-you’re safest using the official cloakroom, no matter how trustworthy someone appears," he cautioned.