Conning the conman, a Singh case study

'Sabka number ayega.' Everyone knows this famous tagline from the TV crime show Jamtara - and dreads the day their phone will ring with a too-good-to-be-true offer, an OTP request, or a terrifying fake threat. No matter how cautious you are, at some point, you're bound to almost fall for an online scam. But, occasionally, fate flips the script, and instead of a citizen getting conned, it's the scamster who gets scammed.

In one such recent case, Bhupendra Singh from Kanpur didn't just dodge a scam bullet but he also turned the con on its head, leaving the fraudster ₹10k poorer - and questioning his career choices. It all started when a so-called 'CBI officer' tried to blackmail Singh with a fake complaint and demand for ₹16k. But instead of panicking, Singh got creative. He spun an elaborate story, claiming he had pawned a gold chain and needed ₹3k to retrieve it. Believing the lie, the scammer sent him the money. Over the next few days, Singh continued weaving new tales, gradually tricking the fraudster into transferring ₹10k. At one point, he even roped in a friend to play the role of a jeweller, adding layers to his ruse. Other than being a racy story, this is the perfect antidote to send e-shivers down a terroriser's spine: do unto others as they intended to do unto you. Against hackers and scamsters, Singh is our new role model.