Hardly a month passed after this blog cited about the cell phone tower racket, Andhra Pradesh Police launched massive investigation into this racket which has already cost the gullible several hundreds of crores all over India.
Some enterprising crooks had already collected several millions offering huge returns if they give their land or terrace on their household for the erection of cellular mobile towers. The offers ranged from Rs. 70,000 monthly rent and an advance amount of Rs. 44 lakh (4.4 million). Naturally many had fallen for the bait and it is estimated people all over country had already lost Rs. 100 crore (one billion) to these fraudsters.
Advertisements appeared in many vernacular newspapers regarding the cell tower erection and all they have to do is contact by a mobile number. Once contacted the prospective customers are told to deposit Rs. 5,000 in a Bank account for registration.
A person in the name of the representative of a particular mobile company approached them and collected Rs. 5,000 as inspection fee. Later, the customers are told to pay Rs. 81, 500 as tax at the rate of 3.25 per cent before encashing a cheque for Rs. 44 lakh. People are eager to encash the cheque and they immediately paid the so-called tax amount in an account. They are told to encash the cheque only after installation of the cell tower.
Then the drama started. People keep on calling the number which is now defunct and soon they realised that they were taken for a ride.
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