Chilika Lake Scam: The beautiful Chilka Lake of Odisha, which is known for its natural beauty and boating, is in the news these days for a different reason. A video going viral on social media has exposed an alleged scam happening here.

In the video, a sailor is seen claiming to sell ‘real pearls’ to the tourist. He tries to win trust by posing as a government official and says that he can get pearls directly from the source at a fixed price.

Scam running in the name of real pearl

It can be seen in the video that the boatman takes an oyster, breaks it and claims to take out a pearl from inside it. He calls it the real gem of the sea. However, the woman who shared the video said that this is all a scripted act.

Actually the pearl is already inserted inside the shell and is stuck with glue. That means the ‘real pearl’ shown to the tourist is actually a fake. By sharing this video on Instagram, people have been advised to be cautious.

People called the incident a serious fraud

After the video went viral, a debate broke out on this issue among the users. Some people are taking a dig at the acting of the boatman, while some are calling it a serious fraud. According to experts, it is not difficult to identify a real pearl – it is slightly rough, has natural layers and weighs more than a fake.

Whereas fake pearls are often smooth and light. After this incident, tourists are being advised to do thorough investigation before buying valuables from any unknown person, so that such scams can be avoided.