Bengaluru woman duped of ₹30,000 in parrot scam

A 27-year-old Bengaluru woman was swindled ₹30,000 in a fraudulent scheme involving the sale of an African Grey parrot. Shivangi, a central government employee residing in Koramangala, was searching for a reasonably priced African Grey parrot when she was contacted by a man claiming to have access to one at a discounted rate.

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The man, who called from an unknown number, offered the parrot for ₹40,000—significantly cheaper than its market value of ₹75,000. He shared photos and videos of the bird, describing it as a 15-18-month-old, tamed female with DNA certification. Despite not publicly sharing her phone number, Shivangi had previously posted on Facebook about her interest in purchasing a parrot, which led to the contact.

The man claimed to have paid half the amount already and requested Shivangi to transfer the remaining ₹30,000 directly to him. After visiting a pet shop on Infantry Road to verify the parrot’s existence, Shivangi agreed to the purchase and transferred the money via UPI. However, the shopkeeper denied receiving any payment and refused to hand over the bird.

Suspecting a collusion between the caller and the shopkeeper, Shivangi lodged a complaint. Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and relevant cheating provisions and are investigating the matter.