Bengaluru: A Reddit user alleged that Bengaluru Police asked him to pay Rs 5,000 to recover his stolen phone that had been traced in Assam.
The user said their phone was stolen in September and that they filed a complaint at Mahadevpura Police Station. They also registered the case on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, which is used to track and block stolen mobile devices.
Viral Reddit post
My experience with Bangalore Police over a stolen phone
by
u/Alarmed-Profit3265 in
bangalore
Several months later, in March, the user received a message stating that the phone had been tracked. Hoping for progress, they revisited the police station. Officials informed them that the device had been located in the Darang area of Assam.
“I’m told that the phone is currently located in Assam (Darang area). Okay, fair enough – I understand recovery might be complicated across states. But then things got weird,” they wrote.
Police officer asks for Rs 5,000 to recover phone
The user alleged that a police officer asked for Rs 5,000 to recover the device. According to the post, the officer claimed there was a “100% chance” of retrieving the phone if the payment was made.
“One of the officers straight up asked me to pay ₹5000 if I want them to “find” and recover the phone. He said that there is 100% chance of getting back my phone, but I would have to pay for it,” the user wrote.
The individual said they chose not to pay, as the request felt inappropriate. “I was honestly shocked. I wasn’t expecting instant recovery or anything, but I definitely didn’t expect to be asked for money like this. I haven’t paid anything yet because it didn’t feel right,” they added.
Netizens took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the incident, with one person saying, “They most probably have recovered the phone and trying to extract money out of you. Stay put, they’ll call you in some weeks/months to hand it over to you.”