Indian Police Charge Scammer Trying to Sell World’s Largest Statue for $4 Billion USD Online
Claiming proceeds would go to India’s Gujarat state government to fund its fight against coronavirus.
This week, police in India lodged a case against an anonymous cyber scammer for plotting to sell the world’s largest statue located in India: The Statue of Unity. The nameless fraudster posted the fake listing on the online marketplace, OLX, offering the nearly 600-foot-tall monument for the aforesaid price. Moreover, the ad claimed that the proceeds from the sale would go to benefit the Gujarat state government’s fight against the coronavirus.
Screengrabs of the listing were shared across social media outlets, portraying the monolithic statue with the text: “Emergency! Selling Statue of Unity because of urgent money required for Hospitals and healthcare equipment.”
An FIR has been registered against the unknown person in Gujarat for posting Statue of Unity for sale. He was just trying to help our clueless govt. pic.twitter.com/OWDGgOFjrJ
— Rofl Gandhi 2.0 (@RoflGandhi_) April 6, 2020
Indian authorities continue to keep tabs on cybercrime that have reportedly surged since the outbreak of COVID-10 in the country. Other scams range from free mobile recharges to offers of free Netflix subscriptions. “We have received over 8,300 complaints from individuals across India and NRIs who have donated thousands of dollars into fake accounts,” said a senior home ministry official, as reported by International Business Times.
Elsewhere in art, MoMA launched free online courses on modern art, photography and more.
