[kittigadu]

I believe a lot of gangs have now started this as a part time business.

From one point of view, this can all be legal unless we have any video evidence of the episode. Remember this is more effective than the terrorizing pulsar gang tactics. These people can anytime argue that they are genuine pedestrians and it is you who drove irresponsibly and rashly and hit them.
That is the reason they act as if they fell on impact.

A casual bystander on the road notices only when he hears someone shout in pain even though they are standing next to the so called victim.
All they will recollect is that the fellow falling down and growling in pain which automatically is assumed that you hit him.

If one panics and pays up, they are profited. If you take them to the police, they bring along their gang and argue and file a case. They know that a working professional will always avoid the police for reasons well known. In the end, one will end up paying to settle the matter and they are profited again.

Even if they are proved guilty, in the court, these things come under cheating cases for which one can get bail at the drop of a hat. So effectively for a determined gang this is more lucrative than real estate where they have to deal with equally powerful gangs.

So, technically after the word of easy money spreads, every fifth guy on the road will act smart and more gangs will join the game. See what the cab guys do to us day in and day out. They know that we cant do anything. Calling their complaint cell numbers is equally useless.

Unless we have some kind of video evidence, the police will just blink and standby.

I have been robbed once. Not in the city but at Bidadi on the Mysore road. That was a shocker to me. Once bitten twice shy, now i am ready to run over these rowdies if anyone dare apply this trick again on me. I shall pay the court for rash and negligent driving than pay these donkey backs. That's my personal plan.

Traffic cops, especially the constable types are utterly useless in situations like these.

It would be immensely helpful if anyone can share media/press contacts here.

Regards,
krishna.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by Googleman

You get the Baseball Bat+ball in Rs. 300 in the Hypercity Mall. I found it quite attractive and picked one, now I carry it in my car too along with the "gupty" I don't know what we call it in English.

Dude, if by "Gupty" you mean the same as what it is in North India, then be careful- it is an illegal weapon and could get you into serious trouble under the Arms Act.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

Dude, if by "Gupty" you mean the same as what it is in North India, then be careful- it is an illegal weapon and could get you into serious trouble under the Arms Act.

I know it is illegal, same is mugging

Just kept it to keep myself safe enough and it has helped me quite a times now. People run away seeing it. I keep it in a way the Cops can not find it out.

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by kittigadu

I shall pay the court for rash and negligent driving than pay these donkey backs. That's my personal plan.

Thats the best attitude.
Really appreciate that.I too follow the same

[Wheeliej]

Reading the thread, I guess I could have been one of the earliest victims of this scam then. it was around 5 years ago when driving my esteem on ORR from the Tanisandra junction towards Hebbal flyover that I encountered a motorcycle with 2 riders banging on my front left window trying to get me to stop.

I thought it was eve-teasing (hehe) and speeded up. That stretch used to be very isolated then and not many riders/drivers can catch up with me when i drive fast anyway.

I knew there was a traffic police outpost below the Hebbal bridge and there was a constable catching people jumping the signal there. I stopped and stood there for a few minutes (the next leg upto BEL gate/road signal used to be isolated as well). The constable was confused and walked up to my car to ask what the matter was. I rolled down the window a bit and explained to him that two people were following me on a motorcycle and wanting me to stop the car mid-way and that I was waiting for them to catch up so that they could explain to him directly what their problem was.

Nobody showed up and I went my merry way.

I was working on Sarjapur Road for 2+ years and used to commute from Brookefields. i left a few days after these announcements came up, but had heard of the events before as well. it is important to be alert and not stop. Drive straight to a police station and stop there. Keep the car doors locked and dont get off. Dark tints are actually helpful though many advise against it, i have always had dark tints on my cars since my work frequently requires me to commute late at night.

One more thing that one can do which I didnt find featured in any of the advise in this thread. If stopped, do not hesitate to attract attention by keeping your hand pressed on the horn; that will distract them since you are in your locked car, the noise is not so much, but for them it will be unbearable. They will max. hit your windshield / windows a few times in the hope that it will crack.

Once I was driving on the road parallel to MG Road around 6.15 a.m and swerved a little bit to avoid the million potholes there (close to Chinnaswamy stadium). I am absolutely certain I did not hit any vehicle since the road was deserted. Suddenly after about 200 metres, close to the BRV signal a white Government Ambassador car driver, driving dangerously forced my car to stop. I was absolultely certain that I had not hit any car and that there was no car close to me when i swerved that little bit. The driver stopped his car in front of mine, got off and started approaching my car abusing me. I made sure my car was locked and the windows were rolled up. I pressed the horn and kept it on. A BMTC bus came past and slowed down and the bus driver enquired what the issue was and the driver shouted something, but since there was no scratch on his car or mine it would have been futile to try to explain. Other cars stopped as well seeing a lone woman in the car. Eventually, knowing that i cant hear anything with the rolled up windows and the din created by a continuously on horn, he gave up and drove off.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by Wheeliej

Other cars stopped as well seeing a lone woman in the car.

You answered it. For men IMO blowing the horn can turn to be more difficult

We need to divert people from interfering than letting more people to earn a quick bug and to rub the itchiness out their hands and fists.

Women are more safe, since anyone and everyone is ready to help

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by Googleman

Women are more safe, since anyone and everyone is ready to help

I don't think that's the case everywhere.

This thread makes me wonder if I was also a victim of this sick game. It was about a year back. Me and wifey were driving to Kerala from Bangalore. Just before Mysore, there is a stretch where there are these small tea/coffee shops on both the sides of the road. There is a huge speed breaker just before this place.
The Bolero's window glasses were clear and did not have any kind of sun film on them then. Two guys (probably in their early 20s) on a bike were kind of trying to catch up with us from a long time. Remember its the wide open road and they had enough space to overtake us, but they just wouldn't. Reached the place where there the tea shops are and I slowed down and was about to pull up to the left, when I notice that the guys were also planning to do the same.
I had this gut feeling in my mind that things aren't looking good, and that too I am with my family. I averted the stop and carried on. They were behind trying to catch up, until I ripped off. Reading these threads, I can safely assume what those guy's motive had to be!
I carry a nice "Peravadi" (a stout branch of the Guava tree) and a baseball bat, these days in the Jeep. Planning to get Pepper spray at the earliest.

These things are on the rise everywhere. In Bangalore, its for the money and valuables.
I considered Kerala (at-least my little town of Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad) to be comparatively safe, until recently.
This happened recently in broad daylight. A couple on their way back from Mysore, had stopped their car somewhere in the Bandipur-Muthanga forest road. Fully drunk, some middle aged men who came in a (locally registered) Indica, beat up the husband and molested the lady. If not for the local taxi, who came to their rescue, I wonder what would have been the couple's fate..though the damage is already done!

[XH_Vee]

I am on my bike since this Monday with the Bangalore east police control room number on my speed dial. I do couple of rounds of the whitefield area before returning home from work. If someone tries to pull off something similar to what we all experienced, I am gonna report the reg. no. of the thugs immediately and then try following them. No matter what bike they ride, I am sure they can't outrun me (even if they spot me) when I am on my well tuned Yammy . They are sure to have a hideout to group up and plan the next one. If it is a solitary guy and just goes on his way, I will know that too.

[asethi]

Originally Posted by rajinibm

Hey guys

I am in bangalore now and was talking to my boss casually regarding the muggings in bangalore and he was surprised when I spoke on the same.On asking why he seemed so surprised he said just 2 weeks back he had experienced the same.
His story in brief:
He was in Lavelle road near cafe coffee day and was about to enter his car when a couple stopped him and told him they were visiting bangalore and someone had pickpotted the guys wallet and he had no money to go to where he was staying with his relatives.They asked my boss where he was was going and then said that was where they wanted to go and asked him to drop them and my unsuspecting boss told them to get into the car.The guy sat in front and the girl in the behind seat.
After a while, the guy started talking to my boss and told him that he wanted money else the lady behind would tear her clothes and say my boss had attempted to ra** her.
My boss panicked and he ended paying 15k withdrawing it from the atm.

He never reported/complained to the cops.Just wondering how many more people these couple would have cheated in the same way and these cases are never reported as the victim would think about their reputation/family and take the route to paying up and moving on.

These couple were very well dressed and did not look like any lower class/uneducated people.

Glad never heard of the same in chennai till date.

The above is only a reproduction of what I head.

Same modus operandi was used by a girl to rob a person known to me in Chandigarh some 3-4 years back, and he ended up paying Rs.10K after withdrawing from the ATM! She had asked for a lift from Chandigarh sector 22 to Mohali, and she actually tore opened her shirt and told him she was going to shout if he didn't pay her immediately!

[P1tBull]

I just got caught by the guy hitting the back of the car trick, in broad daylight on Residency road. I knew about the scam and even then fell for it.
They had scoped my car out when I stopped at the signal and the target was my N97 cellphone which was in the passenger seat beside me.

One guy hit the side of the car when I started moving and I stopped. Unfortunately my passenger window was open and the other guy grabs me from the drivers side making me look away. Guy No 1 reaches through, grabs my phone and they run for it. I chased after them until Brigade road while yelling thief. Not a single person on the road stops them though. No cops either. I lost them on Brigade road when they ran into one of the gulleys. Placed a complaint with the cops but thats the last I expect to see of the phone .

I'd expect this in ORR at midnight but MG road area at 11 am? Crime seems to be getting pretty bad in Bangalore.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by P1tBull

Unfortunately my passenger window was open and the other guy grabs me from the drivers side ... last I expect to see of the phone .

Thanks for sharing this incident. Will have to ride with all windows up, especially while driving alone, I guess.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by asethi

Same modus operandi was used by a girl to rob a person known to me in Chandigarh some 3-4 years back, and he ended up paying Rs.10K after withdrawing from the ATM! She had asked for a lift from Chandigarh sector 22 to Mohali, and she actually tore opened her shirt and told him she was going to shout if he didn't pay her immediately!

This is straight out of a scene from the old Hindi movie: Amar Akbar Anthony.

[sumannandy]

Not sure if the following incident was an attempt.

I was approached by a guy with a lady and a kid.

This happened at J.P.Nagar on 24th Main today. First they approached me and asked if I know Hindi and then they started a story saying that they were from Pune and lost Rs. 4k on the train.

I just walked off. Not sure if they needed any real help, as I did not hear the complete details, but police station was very near to this place and if they needed any help they would have got it anyway.

If I did not read the posts here, I would have probably listened to him at least. But after reading the posts here, I just did not want to take any risk. I was alone and I do not know Kannada. And if they lost something they should have approached the police at the railway station. J.P. Nagar 24th main is quite far from any railway station.

[tanwaramit]

sorry to hear your loss p1tbull, something similar happened to my friend in Delhi with 4 guys in the car.

Haath ki safaai, all were looking behind at one guy rubbing the car at the left rear door, when someone from open drivers window took away the phone kept in the bay on instrument cluster of the person driving.

[ancientmariner]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

Not sure if the following incident was an attempt.
I was approached by a guy with a lady and a kid.

7 years back I was approached by a similar 'family' near Forum Mall, Kmgla. Ever since I have been running into such families near that junction. Once I offered to take them to the police station and they refused the offer.
I was once approached by an Indian near Times Square, NY with a similar story. I offered to take him to a 'Krishna Ashram' nearby. He refused.
This trick certainly has withstood the test of time across the world.