Korean Tourist Scammed in Delhi: Elderly Man Posing as Professor Attempts $100 Extortion

Despite encountering a negative experience, the tourist emphasized that he met far more kind people than dishonest ones during his visit to India.

Walter K, a Korean content creator, recently shared his distressing experience on Instagram after being scammed in Old Delhi by an elderly man who introduced himself as a "professor." The unfortunate incident occurred during the final portion of his Indian journey and involved an excessively high rickshaw fare and an attempt to extract approximately $100 (Rs 8,860) from him.

The incident began when Walter was exploring Connaught Place and was approached by an elderly man who seemed friendly and offered to guide him around the city. The man proposed, "I'll show you around Old Delhi, and when I come to Korea, you show me around." Believing his intentions were genuine, Walter accepted the offer.

Throughout their time together, the elderly man had Walter cover all expenses, including entrance fees to various attractions like a gurudwara and local shops, as well as inflated rickshaw fares. When it came time to share costs, the man refused, claiming his wife would "kill" him for spending money. The situation escalated when a rickshaw driver demanded an outrageously high fare of Rs 3,800 for a brief journey.

Feeling vulnerable and struggling for nearly an hour, Walter reached out to some local Indian friends for assistance. Local residents intervened, confronted the scammer, and helped Walter secure another rickshaw, at which point the elderly man quickly disappeared. Walter fortunately wasn't physically harmed and recovered his money, but described the experience as a "scary and sad time."

"But the bigger problem was a scammer who claimed to be a professor and later asked me for money. I almost lost $100. I struggled for nearly an hour, but thankfully, when I asked for help, some Indian friends stepped in, helped me get another rickshaw, and it ended without anything worse happening," he wrote in his Instagram post caption.

Despite this negative experience, Walter emphasized that the kind individuals he encountered in India greatly outnumbered the unpleasant ones, and acknowledged that scams can occur anywhere. "The good people I met in India were far more than the bad ones. So even with this bad memory, I will still remember India as a good country. Maybe this is the special balance that was left to me. And most importantly, I'm deeply thankful that I wasn't hurt, that I got my money back, and that I could return safely," he added.

The video has garnered significant attention online, with many expressing sympathy for Walter and calling for action against individuals who target tourists and harm India's reputation. Numerous users tagged the Delhi Police, urging authorities to identify the scammer and take appropriate measures.

One commenter stated, "The truth is not all people are good and never trust anybody. As an Indian I will say that there are few people here who will scam you and will do anything just for money. I am glad that you are doing fine."

Another user advised, "Everyone is not a good human brother, please be careful whenever you visit next time and specially in Delhi because there are a lot of scammers roaming around the metro or some tourist or Market areas also, so please be careful next time whenever you visit."

A third person remarked, "This is the biggest betrayal and fraud I have ever seen. If it was me that would break my heart that people really out there taking advantages of trust and kindness and using them for their own benefits. Kindly take strict action against this old guy."