Woman arrested for cheating e-retailer by replacing laptop with log

Coimbatore: A con-woman has been arrested by Erode police for duping an e-retailer by replacing a branded laptop with a wooden log and a costly watch with a toy watch, before returning them to the delivery agent.

The modus operandi of the accused, Radhika and her husband Karthick from PK Velampalayam is to order costly electronic goods through e-commerce sites, only to steal the valuables by smartly replacing them with some cheaper items.

This year, on February 5, the couple received their order of a watch worth Rs 44,900, a laptop for Rs 44,990 and another item for Rs 546 by preferring payment on delivery option.

On receiving the ordered items from the staff, Karthick went inside the house, but returned after a while claiming that he couldn’t pay through online for laptop and watch and returned them back. The agent took them back.

Later, the firm officials opened the packs to find the laptop being replaced with a wooden log and the watch with a fake one. On the following day, the firm staff visited the house of the con-couple and questioned them over the missing valuables.

Based on a complaint, Malayampalayam police registered a case on February 12 and launched a search for the couple, who by then went into hiding. Meanwhile, police learnt that Radhika was arrested in a similar fraud by Chennai police and was lodged in Puzhal prison. She was arrested in prison, while a search continues for her husband.