Cheating cases rise in Ernakulam rural

KOCHI: People in Ernakulam rural police limits are increasingly falling prey to cheaters, especially illegal moneylenders, if cheating cases reported last year are any indication to go by.
Though the number of cheating cases in the city is much higher compared to rural, the good news is that the cheating cases are on a decline now.
Data available with police reveals that cheating cases declined by 17% in the city in 2013 when compared to the previous year, while they increased by 36% in rural police limits.While 521 cheating cases were reported with city police in 2013 as against 634 in 2012, there were 283 cases in the rural last year when compared to 208 cases in 2012. The city had witnessed 627 cheating cases in 2011, while there were 192 cases in the rural during the same period.
Maximum number of cheating cases was registered in Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Central and Palarivttom police stations in the city. In the rural police limits, cheating cases are reported mainly in Aluva, Angamaly and Perumbavoor police stations.
“Financial frauds are high in Kochi because it is the hub of commercial activities. Aluva is part of an extended city and numerous financial transactions have been taking place in the area in the recent period. The basic problem for high number of cheating cases is people’s desire to make quick money without doing much work,” said M R Ajith Kumar, Ernakulam Range IG.
Though it can be checked to some extent by closely monitoring activities of those involved in financial frauds, people need to be more careful when they engage in financial transactions, he added.
It is pertinent to note that cheating cases related to sale of flats have actually come down, but cases where people sell land pledged to a bank while availing of loan are still high. Visa fraud continues to remain a major problem for both city and rural people. Besides, the city has witnessed an increase in admission scams and travel and tourism scams, while in rural Ernakulam majority of cases pertain to borrowing money by pledging land or vehicle to illegal moneylenders.
“There is an increase in registration of cheating cases because of the strict action taken against illegal moneylenders. Police booked more than 100 illegal moneylenders in the rural last year in a bid to check usury and they were also booked for cheating,” said Satheesh Bino, district police chief, Ernakulam Rural.