When people are still finding it difficult to get vaccinated, a few miscreants have been using this opportunity to con others. Three weeks ago, an unidentified man called filmmaker Suresh Babu saying he was calling from the Health Department of Telangana State and that he was arranging a vaccination drive for industry folks.
“I wasn’t feeling well then, so I alerted my office guys and asked them to coordinate with that person for the vaccination drive for our employees,” explains Suresh Babu.
After obtaining the vaccine dose and cost details, which came to rupees one lakh, Suresh Babu’s staff went to pay the amount. However, they soon began suspecting something was amiss in the whole picture.
“My staff informed me their apprehensions about the guy, but I still insisted that they go ahead because I believe vaccination is the need of the hour,” says the producer, adding that after receiving payment, the conman remained inaccessible despite the filmmaker and his team trying to connect to him.
It was then the producer realised that the man was a fraudster. Suresh Babu then immediately complained at the cyber cell department. “A few days later, the police identified and caught the man, who has apparently been duping people. So the cops called and asked me to lodge a formal complaint at the Jubilee Hills Police Station so that they could initiate appropriate action,” he says.
Suresh Babu is riled at the inhuman attitude of some who try and dupe people on the pretext of giving vaccines. “These are tough times and all are running for cover (vaccine). When he called and said vaccination drive, I did not think much about his credentials and did not even cross-check because of the need for vaccination. But this is a heartless act, and now we don’t know whom to trust and whom not to,” he says
The producer also tells us that though initially he was reluctant to complain, he decided to go ahead because several people have been facing such issues and becoming victims of fake vaccination drives. “I felt it was my duty as a citizen to cooperate with the police in nabbing such fraudsters,” concludes Suresh Babu.
