US Woman Duped into Buying Fake Jewellery Worth ₹6 Crore in Rajasthan

A US citizen named Cherish was swindled into purchasing artificial jewellery valued at ₹300 for an astounding ₹6 crore by a shop owner in Jaipur, according to local police reports.

Cherish bought what she believed to be valuable silver jewellery with gold polish from a store in Johri Bazaar, a famous market in Rajasthan's capital city. The shocking truth emerged when she displayed the pieces at an exhibition in the US in April this year, only to discover that the jewellery was fake.

Outraged and determined to seek justice, Cherish returned to India and confronted the shop owner, Gaurav Soni. When Soni dismissed her accusations, she filed a police complaint in Jaipur. Additionally, she reached out to the US embassy, which has since requested Jaipur Police to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Cherish connected with the seller on Instagram 

The American woman recounted to the police how she first connected with Gaurav Soni through Instagram in 2022. Over the course of two years, she ended up paying ₹6 crore for what turned out to be counterfeit ornaments, police officials stated.

Currently, Gaurav Soni and his father, Rajendra Soni, are on the run. Jaipur police have initiated a search operation to locate the duo. "Special teams have been formed to trace the two men," said an official.

The incident highlights the growing concerns over fraudulent activities via platfroms like Instagram and the need for stringent measures to protect consumers from such scams.