A father and son duped a businessman out of millions of rupees by pretending to work for Nasa.
The duo allegedly convinced the New Delhi man to buy a copper plate with special qualities that attracts rice grains for about £156,858, police said. They had told him that with his investment, they could sell the plate to the US space agency for billions of dollars, according to local media.
The duo staged fake tests and claimed that they had arranged for a scientist who would be required to wear special suits to carry out the procedure, and asked for money to develop the device.
The two conmen bought the fake space suits for Rs 1,200-1,500 rupees (£12 – £16) but claimed that using it once cost 1.25 million rupees (£13,318).
The conmen apparently coated the copper plate with rice mixed with small iron wires to fool the victim.
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Bisham Singh, deputy commissioner of police for New Delhi, said: The conmen told the businessman that theres this metal called Rice Puller which attracts rice grains towards it and NASA pays millions for such a metal.
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For the process of selling the metal, they charged fees for testing which required a spacesuit, chemicals and a scientist. They duped the businessman, who is a garment exporter, of 14.3 million rupees (£156,858).
They (conmen) told the victim that he will have to go to the lab where the metal, called rice puller is kept. They tell the victim that a scientist has been called in and for whom a special suit has been bought or rented which would cost 1.25 million rupees for a one-time use.
The scientist will then go in the lab wearing the suit and will test the metal with the chemical to check whether the metal is genuine or not; then their con-scientist tells the victim that the metal is of even better quality, making a case for cheating more money out of the businessman.
The investigation continues.
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