Fake money order scam busted in Chandigarh

According to postal department sources, the fraud was detected when a local sub-postmaster doubted the credentials of a money order. This made themrefer it to the Patna office for verification. It was discovered that no such post office as mentioned in the money order, existed in Patna. The Patna postal authorities informed local officials that more such money orders had been sent to various offices in the region by using articifial stamp of the "fictitious" post office.

As many as six jewellery shops and a watch shop in Chandigarh had already received such money orders for Rs 23,000 each. "We actually got more such money orders but we did not release them as the scam had been detected," says Tilak Raj, Chief Postmaster General (Punjab Circle). He added that all post offices in the city had been instructed to double-check all money orders and report the matter to the headquarters and the police, if any such money order was detected.

Acknowledging that it could well be a major scandal, Tilak Raj said: "Senior Superintendent of Post Offices is conducting an inquiry and the report should be ready in a few days. The matter has also been reported to theChandigarh Police and the Patna Police for necesary action. It is for them to do the investigation."

Sources said that the culprit seemed to have very smartly conceived the plan. He prepared the post office stamp of Patna and the money order slips passed through all the stages without being detected. He would have got the jewellery from here or would have got the money which he actually never paid. Says Tilak Raj: "Normally we check the numbers of post offices from where the money order has been issued. But temporary post offices have different numbers and, therefore, are not always checked." This, sources said, indicated that the plan was prepared in connivance with the department employees.

Meanwhile, Tilak Raj said that they had recovered back about Rs 20,000 from local shopkeepers. "Some of them are hesitant to return it and we have approached the police to get it back," he added. When contacted, Chandigarh Jewellers Association president Shiv Dyal Sharma said: "We were suspicious in the verybeginning; yet we accepted the money thinking that it might be a genuine customer. But we promptly informed the local postal authorities."