Hyderabad: Woman diverts attention, steals

Hyderabad: A new attention diversion scam is being reported in the city, where staff of beauty parlours are being targeted by a woman customer.

The suspect approaches the parlour seeking costly bridal make-up package. She tells the staff that her family discourages use of jewellery, and asks the staff to remove their jewellery and keep it out of view.

When the staff complies, because of the cost of the package, and gets busy, the suspect makes away with their jewellery. Two cases were reported at KPHB and Nizampet in the past 10 days involving the same woman, said to be in her late 20s.

In the first case at Nizampet, the woman decamped with a four-tola gold chain, while at KPHB reported on Wednesday, she decamped with gold jewellery weighing 16 tolas. Police has recovered CCTV footage of the suspect.

ACP, Kukatpally, N. Bhujanga Rao said teams were already on the job to trace the woman. “We are taking the help of experts to develop a portrait sketch of the woman and sensitise beauty parlours,” he said.

Police said the woman tells the staff at the parlour that she belongs to a sect that discourages use of jewellery, and her family is against the practice. Before asking the staff to remove their jewellery, she spent at least an hour talking to them and observing their movements, police said.

KPHB inspector Ch Kushalkar said there was no such religious tradition. He asked parlour staff not to remove their jewellery for any purpose. “We appeal to them to inform the police if they notice anyone making such requests,” he said.