This Diwali gold shopping safety guide covers five scams — from Instagram fake-gold traps to fake sale links — how to check real gold, and helpline 1930.
Updated: October 17, 2026, 10:03 IST
Quick Read
- Gujarat’s Kutch police busted an Instagram gold-fraud racket on October 9: 5 arrested, ₹1.62 crore seized, 15 fake gold biscuits found.
- Kerala Police warned on October 13 against fake Amazon/Flipkart festive-sale links stealing OTPs and UPI PINs.
- Delhi police arrested 3 men on October 15 for a ₹39.30-lakh “tantrik ancestral gold” con. If you’re scammed, call 1930 immediately.
Dhanteras — November 6 this year — is India’s biggest gold-buying day. Jewellers report some of their best sales of the year in the fortnight before it. Fraudsters know this too, and October 2026 has already given us three live examples of how they work.
This is the safety companion to our buying and tax guides: the buying guide told you what to purchase, the tax guide told you what the government takes — this one tells you how not to lose the money altogether.
Also read: Dhanteras 2026 gold buying guide | Gold tax 2026: ETF vs SGB vs digital gold
Scam 1: the cheap-gold trap on Instagram
On October 9, Kutch police in Gujarat busted an interstate racket selling fake gold through Instagram. Five people were arrested. The haul: ₹1.62 crore, including 1 kg of genuine gold and 15 fake gold biscuits.
The method was simple and cruel. The gang advertised gold at below-market prices — the classic “too good to be true” hook. When a buyer showed interest, they were shown a genuine gold sample. Then, at the moment of sale, the real gold was swapped for fakes. The buyers walked away with gold-plated junk and empty pockets.
How to spot it: any Instagram ad or DM offering gold below the market rate is a fraud until proven otherwise. Real gold has a fixed market price — 24K is trading around ₹14,743 per gram this week. Nobody sells genuine gold at a 20% discount. No jeweller needs Instagram DMs to find buyers at Dhanteras.
Scam 2: fake festive-sale links
Kerala Police put out a warning on October 13 about fake Amazon and Flipkart festive-sale links. The fraud works like this: you get a WhatsApp message or see a social-media ad with an “unbelievable” festive offer. The link looks like Amazon or Flipkart — same colours, same layout — but the domain is slightly off.
You click, you “order,” you enter your card or UPI details. Or the fake site asks for an OTP to “confirm” the deal. The OTP goes straight to the fraudster, and your money follows.
The rules are boring and they work: shop only through the official apps you downloaded from the Play Store or App Store — never through a link in a message. Check the domain letter by letter. And remember the golden rule of UPI: you never enter a UPI PIN to receive money. Any “buyer” or “offer” that asks for your PIN is stealing from you.
One more tell: real festive sales never ask you to pay through a personal UPI ID or a random QR code on WhatsApp. Amazon and Flipkart take payment inside their own apps, on their own checkout pages. If the “deal” moves you to a chat, it’s not a deal.
Scam 3: the tantrik ancestral-gold con
Delhi police arrested three men on October 15 for cheating an elderly man of ₹39.30 lakh with a “tantrik ancestral gold” story. The pitch: hidden ancestral treasure, unlocked by rituals, available for a fee — the fee being the victim’s life savings.
This scam preys on the elderly and on belief. The “tantrik” performs rituals, shows “signs” of the treasure, and keeps asking for more money to complete the process. There is no treasure. There never was.
If anyone in your family — especially elderly parents — mentions a tantrik, a treasure, or “special gold” that needs money to unlock, intervene fast. These gangs specifically target homes where the elderly live alone or manage money themselves.
Two more frauds that spike every Diwali
The “hallmark” lie at small shops. Some sellers claim BIS hallmarking but sell under-karat gold. Since hallmarking became mandatory, every piece of gold jewellery must carry the BIS mark and a 6-digit HUID number. No HUID, no purchase — and you can verify the HUID on the BIS Care app before paying.
Advance-payment frauds on “pre-booking.” Shops and websites offer “Dhanteras pre-booking” at locked-in prices — pay now, collect on Dhanteras. Some vanish with the advance. Pre-book only with jewellers you can walk into, and get a written receipt with the shop’s GST number on it.
The Diwali gold shopping safety guide: 5 checks before you pay
- Check the rate first. Know the day’s 24K/22K rate before you walk in. Around ₹14,743/g for 24K this week — if a shop’s quote is wildly off, walk out.
- Demand the HUID. Every hallmarked piece has a 6-digit HUID. Verify it on the BIS Care app. No mark, no deal.
- Get the weight in writing. The bill must show gross weight, net weight, stone weight separately, and making charges. Vague bills are where cheating hides.
- Pay by traceable means. Card, UPI, or bank transfer — not cash for large purchases. You want a paper trail if something goes wrong.
- Keep the bill forever. Gold disputes without a bill are nearly impossible to win. Photograph it too.
Scammed? Do this in the first hour
Speed matters. Call 1930 — the national cybercrime helpline — immediately. Then file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots, transaction IDs, and the fraudster’s number or link.
For fake gold bought from a shop: go back with the bill and demand testing. If they refuse, file a consumer complaint and a police complaint — selling under-karat gold as hallmarked is a criminal offence, not just a bad deal.
For Instagram and WhatsApp frauds, screenshot everything before the account disappears — the profile, the chat, the payment screen. Fraud accounts get deleted fast, and without screenshots your complaint has nothing to attach. Save the UPI transaction reference number from your bank app too; that’s the one ID the cyber cell can actually trace.
The Kutch case shows the police do act — ₹1.62 crore seized, five arrests. But recovery works best when the complaint is filed fast, before the money moves through three more accounts. Don’t wait till morning. Call 1930 now.
Also read: Diwali 2026 date guide: Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj
FAQs
How do I check if gold is real before buying?
Buy only BIS-hallmarked jewellery with a 6-digit HUID number, and verify the HUID on the BIS Care app before paying. The bill must show net weight and making charges separately.
Are Instagram gold deals safe?
No. Gujarat’s Kutch police busted an Instagram gold racket on October 9, 2026 — 5 arrested, 15 fake gold biscuits seized. Real gold is never sold at big discounts through social-media DMs.
What should I do if I clicked a fake sale link?
If you entered card or UPI details, call 1930 immediately and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Change your UPI PIN and inform your bank. Never share OTPs with anyone.
