Uncle scam in Ahmedabad
The caller contacted the student on May 29 and said he owed the latter’s father Rs 15,000, according to the complaint filed with Sabarmati police on Aug 3.
Cybercrime police said eight cases of fraud involving the ruse of “Sharma uncle” and its variants have been reported across Gujarat over the past two months. Cybercrime police said the scam relies on familiarity and social trust rather than sophisticated hacking. The “Sharma uncle” label is becoming a convenient cover because Sharma is among the most common surnames in India, police said.
The fraudster speaks confidently as though the victim is expected to recognise him.
The student then contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930.
In some instances, the fraudster says he is in distress and invokes the deep bond with the target’s family to demand money. Officers said people should never rely on SMS notifications or screenshots to verify a UPI credit. The family contacted the caller, who initially promised to return the money but later broke off all contact. Before returning money, they should independently check their bank account and confirm with the family member whom the caller claims to know.