Delhi Man Loses Rs 1.8 Lakh in Elaborate Scam by Fake Priest at Akshardham Temple - Warning for Visitors

A Delhi resident has reported being deceived by an individual posing as a priest near Akshardham Temple, resulting in the theft of valuables worth approximately Rs 1.8 lakh. The stolen items included his smartphone, smartwatch, cash, and important personal documents. He shared his experience on Reddit to alert others about these sophisticated scams that primarily target first-time and solo visitors to the temple.

The victim recounted how he was approached by an elderly, soft-spoken man on a bus who initiated a friendly conversation and gradually gained his trust. This seemingly kind individual offered to guide him around, saying, "Beta, I've been out and about, I can show you everything." The older man cautioned him against using the official cloak room, claiming he had previously lost his belongings there.

The elderly man then contacted someone he referred to as trustworthy, and soon another individual dressed as a temple priest arrived. This fake priest reassured the victim by saying, "Please don't worry at all, all your belongings will stay safe here." To appear credible, the elderly man surrendered his own phone and wallet first. Convinced by this display of trust, the victim handed over his phone, wallet, smartwatch, belt, shoes, and other possessions, believing they would be securely stored.

They proceeded inside for darshan, with the elderly man providing temple information, making the entire experience seem 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," the victim explained in his post.

After they exited the temple, the elderly man gave him a ladoo to eat and asked him to wait while he supposedly went to "deposit some money." Minutes later, both the elderly man and the fake priest disappeared. It was at this moment that the victim realized he had been scammed through an elaborate scheme.

The stolen items included a Samsung S24 Ultra phone, an ultrawatch, a wallet containing Rs 8,000 in cash, two credit cards, a debit card, PAN card, and driving license, with the total estimated value of Rs 1.8 lakh.

The victim has filed a police complaint, and authorities informed him that these organized scams frequently occur around major religious sites. Police are currently investigating the incident.

The man urged fellow temple visitors to exercise extreme caution and only use official cloakrooms for storing their belongings, regardless of how trustworthy strangers might appear. "I'm sharing this because people think scammers will look suspicious or act shady. But this uncle was very patient, gentle, convincing. Just slowly, and carefully built his trust and manipulated me into believing him. If you ever visit Akshardham or any large temple, please be very careful. Don't hand your belongings to anyone really, I think the cloak room is the safest.. no matter how trustworthy they seem," he concluded.