'I Was Robbed': Akshardham Visitor Loses Valuables Worth Rs 1.8 Lakh To Fake Priest

A man who recently planned a solo trip to the Akshardham Temple in Delhi lost valuables worth Rs 1.8 lakh after falling victim to a scam orchestrated by two men, including a fake priest.

In a post on Reddit, the man alleged that he was duped by a fake priest near the Akshardham Temple, losing belongings worth about Rs 1.8 lakh, including a Samsung S24 Ultra, a smartwatch, cash, and important documents. He shared the incident on Reddit to caution others about increasingly sophisticated scams that often target solo or first-time temple visitors.

According to his account, the ordeal began on a bus when a middle-aged, soft-spoken man initiated a friendly conversation and offered to guide him around the temple. After reaching the destination, the fraudster

claimed he was familiar with the area and warned the victim that the cloakroom was unsafe, saying he had previously lost valuables there.

I was made a fool & Robbed at Akshardham Temple and lost over 1.8 lac rupees..Don’t Let This Happen to You
byu/Acrobatic-Health2681 indelhi

To build trust, he contacted someone he said he relied on, and soon another man dressed as a pujari arrived. The victim wrote that the pujari reassured him, saying, “You don’t worry at all, everything is safe here.” The older man even handed over his own phone and wallet, which convinced the victim to surrender his phone, wallet, smartwatch, belt, shoes and more before entering for darshan.

The victim said the temple visit felt genuine, with the “uncle” explaining various details. But once they exited, the situation changed. The elderly man offered him a ladoo and asked him to wait while he supposedly went to “deposit some money.” Moments later, both the “uncle” and the fake pujari disappeared. That’s when the victim realised he had been tricked.

His stolen items included Rs 8,000 in cash, multiple bank cards, PAN card, and driving licence. After filing a police complaint, he was told that such organised scams are common near major religious sites. He urged visitors to remain cautious and rely only on official cloakrooms. “people think scammers will look suspicious or act shady. But this uncle was very patient, gentle, convincing. Just slowly, and carefully built his trust and manipulated me into believing him. If you ever visit Akshardham or any large temple, please be very careful,” he warned.