It started, like most scams do, with a too-good-to-be-true opportunity.
Manish Kumar, a Patna-based businessman with a decent reputation in his circle, got a call in early 2024.
The voice on the other end was polite, smooth, and confident.
The man introduced himself as an executive from a firm called Unicorn Auctions Corporation, a Kolkata-based company that “deals with antique artefacts of national importance.”
“Sir, what we have in our possession is a copper artefact dating back to the East India Company. It’s not just antique… It’s historic. It contains iridium,” the caller said.
Manish had never heard of iridium, but the caller explained, like a seasoned salesman, that it was a rare element used in satellites and nuclear technology, and that international buyers were willing to pay over ₹20 lakh crore for this artefact.
“We just need someone with financial credibility to partner with us in the auction process. You fund the legal clearances, and the profit, once the deal is through, will be split.
You’ll be looking at thousands of crores in return.”
Most people would’ve cut the call right there. But Manish didn’t.
A Web of Deceit Woven in Gold-Laced Promises
Unicorn Auctions looked legit on the surface.
Their emails had digital signatures, their website was polished, and they dropped names like DRDO, RBI, and even the PMO in their conversations, sometimes backing them with documents bearing actual-looking seals.
But it was the in-person meetings that sealed the deal.
Manish was invited to a plush office in Kolkata where men in formal suits, some even wearing government-style ID badges, welcomed him.
One man, introduced as a “DRDO scientist,” took him into a separate room where the artefact was kept in a glass chamber.
“We can’t let you touch it. The radiation levels are high. But here, watch this,” the ‘scientist’ said as he dropped a grain of rice near the artefact.
Manish watched in awe as the grain of rice seemed to disintegrate on its own.
“And this water…” Another man poured water into a dish and placed it near the chamber. “Look how it turns blue. This is iridium. Only a few kilos of this exist on Earth.”
By now, Manish’s skepticism had drowned under a wave of adrenaline.
He transferred ₹1.3 crore over the next few weeks, payments made for ‘clearances’, ‘auction paperwork’, ‘customs approvals’, and so on.
When the Dream Cracks
It wasn’t until he was invited to Delhi for the final ‘handover of payment documents’ that reality began to hit.
“Sir, ₹2 crore more, and we’ll release your Bank of America confirmation. The funds are ready. We just need to clear the last NOC.”
That’s when the penny dropped.
Manish refused to pay further and demanded a refund.
The tone on the other end of the line changed instantly.
“We warned you not to back out. You’ll be responsible for halting a national transaction. We know where you live,” one of the scammers allegedly threatened him.
That was enough. Manish went to the police with everything: emails, chats, voice recordings, and names.
Scam Dressed in a Suit
The Kolkata Police Cyber Cell took the case seriously. What they uncovered was a well-oiled scam machine. The company wasn’t just cheating Manish—others had been lured before, too.
The scamsters used fake government letters, forged seals, and even impersonated high-ranking officials to extract money under the guise of antique auctions.
They had built an entire stage play around an old copper artefact that probably wasn’t even worth ₹500.
This wasn’t the first iridium-based antique scam in India, and unfortunately, it might not be the last.
The twist here was how well-executed it was—from fake science experiments to government stamps.
The Takeaway
Scams like these prey on two things: greed and curiosity. The promise of overnight wealth through international deals, backed by fake credibility, can shake even the most rational minds.
What’s scary is how real it all felt to Manish—until it didn’t.
Final Words
If someone calls you offering a deal involving artefacts, radioactive metals, and “government clearances,” take a step back and breathe.
No real auction house will ask you for crores to process paperwork. And no real DRDO scientist will be doing iridium tests with rice grains in a Kolkata office.
Stay alert. Ask questions. Do your due diligence.
And if you’re ever unsure, ask yourself this—If this was real, why would they need me?
