Bangalore:
Be watchful when you handover your credit card to a stranger, as you may end up paying a huge price for trusting the person.
Ramesh Jayram, a sales executive with an IT company, still laments the mistake he committed last month. He was allegedly duped by a petrol pump attendant at Akar service station while paying a Rs 500 petrol bill.
The attendant allegedly swapped his card with another one, a sleight of hand, he realised only after two days.
Soon after discovering the con, Jayram called up the customer care centre of his bank to block the card.
He also checked his statement online and was shocked to know his card was swiped for Rs 16,999, and that too at the same petrol pump.
As Jayram often refueled his car at Akar service station, he spoke to the manager who confirmed that the transactions had taken place at the very petrol pump.
"The manager took my credit card number and contact number so that he could inform me the next time my card was swiped," said Jayram.
The manager also asked him if he could recognise the person whom he handed over the card to, but Jayram couldn't.
Then, as directed by the bank, Jayram filed a complaint with Pulakeshinagar police accusing the petrol pump staff of the sham.
"I checked with the bank and discovered that the service station staff had also used the other card that was handed over to me. Sridharan, owner of the other card had also reported the theft," Jayram said.
The Frazer Town police have registered a cheating case. "We'll interrogate the staff and find out the culprit soon," said a police officer.