A St Cuthbert’s Mission woman was defrauded of about GY$280,000 after a man sold her US$1400, which turned out to be counterfeit currency.
Vimmi Ramnarace, speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday morning said the man visited her place on business last Friday and pretended to be an overseas-based Guyanese, who returned home.
She said at about 14:45h the man, who identified himself as “Mr Sunil” visited her business establishment in the company of a group of men, who were not known to her.
The 49-year-old woman related that the men then proceeded to purchase beer at her shop, which amounted to some $10,000. When it was time to pay, “Sunil” then told her that he only had United States currency.
“He said he don’t have any Guyana money,” she related, stating that she hesitantly accepted the cash and converted it to Guyanese currency and paid him his change.
The woman then related that the men and “Sunil” remained at the shop for a period of time. It was during this time that “Sunil” and her began conversing about his trips between Guyana and Long Island, New York.
“He start talk with me and me seh me plan to go away next month. So, he say he just come in from Long Island and he got some more money, if me want buy it. So me say yes because he said he giving me fuh $200 [per US dollar],” she explained.
This led to her trusting him and handing over $280,000 to the suspect, who in turn gave her US$1400.
Ramnarace said after completing the transaction, “Sunil” asked her to cook something for him and his friends, informing her that they were going to drive around the village and come back.
However, after some time passed, the woman said she became suspicious.
“…Then me start get worried like [and I start] think like if this is not good money and when my husband come home, me show he and he said is not good money,” she said.
Ramnarace said she immediately tried to contact “Sunil” on a mobile number he had left her, however, the person that answered claimed to be “Vishal” and said he had no knowledge of the transaction with her.
“…but when me son add he number to he Whatsapp, is the same “Sunil” picture with the same clothes he wear when he come to the shop show up,” the woman said.
The woman further relayed that since it was already late in the afternoon, and Saturday last was a holiday, Ramnarace said she had to wait until Monday to travel to Georgetown.
The businesswoman alleged that she visited a cambio first, and was informed that the US dollars in her possession were counterfeit. She was advised to report the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department at Eve Leary, where the matter is being investigated.
Efforts to make contact with the Crime Chief Paul Williams proved futile.
Ramnarace has been living at St Cuthbert’s Mission for the past 32 years and has been an owner of a business for 10 years. She said that this is the first time something of this nature has happened to her.
