Rice Puller Scam: The Science Behind the Myth and How Fraudsters Turn It Into a High-Value Con
From alleged iridium objects to fake laboratory reports, the RP racket uses scientific terminology to create the illusion of a fortune waiting to be unlocked
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
New Delhi | September 6, 2026
A popular hidden scam by Bengal fraudsters is the RP metal sale scam, with a proposed value of multiple crores. A syndicate is active pan Bengal.
A piece of metal is shown to a prospective buyer. Rice grains apparently move towards it. A story follows about iridium, radioactivity, advanced technology and a secret overseas purchaser. Then comes the most important part of the proposition: a request for money to conduct testing, obtain certification or complete a supposed government or international transaction.
This is the basic idea behind what is popularly called the “Rice Puller” or “RP” scam.
The extraordinary value attributed to these objects is not supported by any recognised scientific phenomenon in which a special material possesses a unique ability to attract rice and consequently commands a fortune in the international market.
Yet the proposition can appear convincing because it combines real scientific concepts with fabricated claims.
Official records make the warning particularly significant.
The Reserve Bank of India issued a public caution in 2018 regarding fraudulent schemes involving alleged copper/iridium “Rice Pullers”. The RBI said false claims were being made about extraordinary properties of such devices.
The Department of Atomic Energy has also addressed the issue in Parliament, referring to fraudulent activities involving objects described as “Rice-puller” and “Anti-radiation pack”. The department reported that forged or manipulated documents purportedly associated with scientific institutions had been used in such cases.
The story starts with an ordinary object
There is rarely anything extraordinary about the physical object when viewed without the surrounding narrative.
It may be presented as an old metal article, a vessel, a plate, a machine component or an unusual-looking alloy.
The seller then attaches a remarkable history to it.
The object may supposedly have been:
- discovered accidentally;
- inherited from an earlier generation;
- recovered from an old building or religious site;
- obtained from a former government employee;
- connected with a secret scientific experiment; or
- made from a supposedly rare metal combination.
The more unusual the story becomes, the more valuable the object is claimed to be.
The rice demonstration
The term “Rice Puller” comes from the claim that rice grains are attracted to the object.
But this is not a recognised scientific test for identifying a metal, isotope or radioactive substance.
Rice is lightweight and can respond to ordinary physical effects. Static charge, moisture, air movement, surface attraction and the experimental setup can all influence tiny particles.
Consequently, watching a few grains move cannot establish that an object contains iridium, radioactive material or any special alloy.
Why iridium is mentioned
The fraud becomes more convincing when the word “iridium” enters the conversation.
Iridium is a genuine chemical element belonging to the platinum-group metals. It is rare and has legitimate industrial and scientific applications.
There are also radioactive isotopes of iridium. Iridium-192, for example, has legitimate applications as a sealed radioactive source, particularly in industrial radiography.
But those facts do not establish the next claim:
“This unidentified object is an enormously valuable iridium isotope.”
That conclusion requires proper scientific evidence.
A person cannot establish the presence, identity or quantity of a particular isotope simply by looking at an object or performing a household experiment.
Then comes the government connection
The next layer of the story often involves a prestigious institution.
The prospective buyer may hear that the object is wanted by an organisation connected with:
BARC, DRDO, ISRO, NASA, a defence laboratory or a foreign government.
The names are powerful because most people understandably associate them with advanced science and technology.
Official records show that such institutional names have been misused in RP-related fraud allegations.
The Department of Atomic Energy told Parliament that documents allegedly connected with BARC and DAE had been manipulated or misrepresented in fraudulent transactions involving purported Rice Pullers.
The important point is simple:
A document carrying the name or logo of a scientific institution is not proof that the institution issued it.
The issuing organisation must be contacted independently.
The paperwork becomes part of the performance
At this stage, the prospective victim may receive apparently sophisticated documentation.
It could contain:
- laboratory terminology;
- serial numbers;
- official-looking seals;
- signatures;
- technical measurements;
- valuation figures;
- photographs;
- references to government departments;
- supposed international purchase commitments.
The documents are intended to answer the victim’s doubts before those doubts become serious.
But a forged document does not become genuine because it contains technical language.
In fact, the use of apparently official documentation is one of the reasons these schemes can survive long enough to extract substantial amounts of money.
Radiation adds fear—and value
Another common element is the introduction of radioactivity.
The victim may be told that the object produces radiation and therefore cannot be handled normally.
A radiation meter may be demonstrated. Protective clothing may appear. The object may be kept inside a special container.
The combination of danger + rarity + secrecy can make the supposed value seem even greater.
However, radiation is measurable.
If a person genuinely suspects that an object is radioactive, the answer is not a lemon-juice test, turmeric test, rice test or digital-watch experiment.
It requires appropriate radiation instrumentation and, where necessary, laboratory analysis capable of identifying the radionuclide involved.
The DAE’s parliamentary response is especially relevant because it documented cases in which materials associated with such fraudulent claims were examined and found not to be radioactive.
The money request is the critical stage
Once the victim accepts the possibility that the object is valuable, the financial component begins.
The seller may say that the object is already worth an enormous amount, but that money is required to complete one necessary procedure.
The requested payment might be described as being for:
testing, certification, transportation, security, insurance, clearance, equipment or export formalities.
The payment appears small compared with the supposed final reward.
For example, if someone is told that an object will ultimately bring ₹100 crore, a demand for ₹10 lakh can appear comparatively insignificant.
That comparison is precisely what makes the proposition psychologically powerful.
One payment can lead to another
After the first payment, the supposed transaction may develop a new requirement.
A laboratory allegedly needs another test.
A government department supposedly wants another certificate.
Insurance allegedly has to be arranged.
Security expenses suddenly increase.
An overseas purchaser supposedly requires another document.
The victim is encouraged to make another payment because the promised transaction is portrayed as being almost complete.
This can continue until the victim either runs out of money or recognises that the promised buyer and transaction cannot be independently verified.
Real cases show the financial danger
The RP phenomenon is not simply an internet legend.
Police investigations in different parts of India have involved allegations of substantial financial losses.
In one Maharashtra case reported by The Indian Express, police said a large number of people were allegedly persuaded to put money into a purported rice-puller scheme involving claims about copper-iridium and NASA.
In a Bengaluru case, a businessman reported losing ₹3.5 crore in an alleged RP fraud in which claims about NASA, special equipment and protective suits reportedly formed part of the proposition.
A separate Mumbai case reported by The Times of India involved an alleged ₹20-lakh loss linked to promises of a much larger return from purported copper-iridium.
And in 2026, Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing investigated an alleged ₹9-crore RP-related fraud, demonstrating that the formula continues to surface.
These are allegations reported in criminal investigations; the accused are entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless convicted by a court.
Why the deception works
The scheme succeeds by making several unrelated things appear to support one conclusion.
For example:
Rice moves → special metal
Special metal → iridium
Iridium → rare isotope
Radioactivity → advanced technology
Government logo → official approval
Foreign buyer → enormous valuation
Testing fee → final payment
None of these connections automatically follows from the previous one.
That is the central weakness in the RP story.
A genuine isotope has a measurable identity
This distinction is particularly important when the seller uses the phrase “iridium isotope.”
An isotope is not authenticated by its appearance.
Scientific identification requires measurement capable of determining what radionuclides are actually present and, where relevant, their activity.
A claim such as:
“The watch stopped, therefore the material is radioactive”
has no scientific validity.
Likewise:
“Turmeric changed colour, therefore the object contains a radioactive isotope”
is not a valid conclusion.
Chemical reactions and radiation detection are entirely different scientific questions.
The safest test is independent verification
Anyone who genuinely believes they have discovered an unusual metal or radioactive source should separate two questions:
What is the material?
and
What is it worth?
The first question must be answered scientifically.
Only after authentic identification can the second question sensibly be considered.
A seller who starts with the price—particularly a price running into tens or hundreds of crores—and then asks the prospective buyer to finance the “verification” deserves extreme caution.
Five questions that can expose an RP claim
Before transferring any money, ask:
1. Which independent laboratory identified the material?
2. What exact isotope or chemical composition was detected?
3. Can the laboratory independently confirm the report?
4. Who is the legally identifiable buyer?
5. Why must the supposed buyer’s enormous purchase be financed by the person being asked to sell the material?
If straightforward answers cannot be independently established, the proposed transaction should not be treated as a genuine scientific opportunity.
Do not conduct home experiments
Anyone who has an unidentified object that is alleged to be radioactive should avoid experimenting with it.
Do not:
- cut it;
- grind it;
- heat it;
- open sealed containers;
- add acids;
- mix it with household chemicals;
- deliberately expose electronics;
- attempt to manufacture a radiation demonstration.
A chemical colour reaction cannot authenticate an isotope, while an electronic malfunction cannot quantify radiation exposure.
The bottom line
The real danger of the Rice Puller story is not that a mysterious piece of metal might be valuable.
It is that a person can be persuaded to spend real money on a scientific claim that has never been independently established.
Iridium exists.
Radioactive isotopes exist.
Scientific laboratories exist.
International aerospace organisations exist.
The fraud emerges when these genuine facts are assembled into a fictional commercial story around an unidentified object.
Science begins with measurement, not valuation.
If somebody claims that a metal object is worth hundreds of crores because it is an RP, the correct first response is not to negotiate the price.
It is to ask for independent scientific identification and independently verifiable documentation.
And until that evidence exists, no advance payment should be made simply because someone promises a spectacular future return.
10 documented Rice Puller-related cases
| # | Place / Police Station | FIR / Crime No. | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi – Crime Branch | FIR 86/2016 | Alleged Rice Puller fraud involving forged DRDO/Ministry of Defence documents. Delhi High Court records that certificates presented as establishing Rice Puller authenticity were verified with DRDO, Balasore, and found forged. The alleged fraud involved about ₹5.95 crore. |
| 2 | Delhi – Crime Branch | FIR 159/2020, dated 17 Oct 2020 | Alleged cheating on the pretext of selling a Rice Puller; sections included 420/468/471/120-B IPC and the Emblems and Names Act. The Delhi High Court records the FIR and allegations. |
| 3 | Delhi – Economic Offences Wing | FIR/case registered in 2020 | Alleged ₹9-crore fraud involving purported Rice Pullers, radioactive mirrors and antique objects. Police said the accused allegedly invoked BARC, DRDO and archaeological laboratories to establish credibility. |
| 4 | Mumbai – Maharashtra | FIR 59/2020 | Court records identify a Mumbai Rice Puller case in which the charge-sheet was filed under Sections 420/406/467/468/120-B/34 IPC. The same Delhi proceedings identify it as involving the same modus operandi. |
| 5 | Kangan Police Station, Ganderbal, J&K | FIR 08/2024 | Police registered the case after busting an alleged fake Rice Pulling Machine operation. Twelve people were arrested and a purported Rice Puller and counterfeit currency were recovered. |
| 6 | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | Crime No. 563/2010 | Tamil Nadu High Court records a case involving an alleged “casket/kalasam” associated with a Rice Pulling demonstration. The complainant allegedly paid ₹60,000 and the case was registered against 16 accused under Sections 420 and 506(ii) IPC. |
| 7 | Ollur Police Station, Kerala | Crime No. 1052/2019 | Kerala High Court records a case in which the accused allegedly had a monetary dispute involving a purported Rice Puller; the case included allegations of kidnapping, robbery and intimidation. The court record specifically notes that the accused had paid ₹40 lakh for getting a Rice Puller. |
| 8 | Lalaguda Police Station, Hyderabad/Telangana | Crime No. 100/2009 | Telangana High Court records a case beginning with an alleged Rice Puller transaction. The complainants were allegedly taken to see the item and subsequently abducted and robbed. The police registered Crime No.100/2009. |
| 9 | Jubilee Hills Police Station, Hyderabad/Telangana | Crime No. 224/2009 | Court records show that an alleged Rice Puller was offered for sale as an “auspicious antique item”; the victims were subsequently allegedly confined, assaulted and robbed. Crime No.224/2009 was registered. |
| 10 | Moghalpura Police Station, Hyderabad/Telangana | Crime No. 69/2009 | The prosecution case records an alleged Rice Pulling coin display followed by kidnapping and ransom demands. Crime No.69/2009 was registered. |
One additional Hyderabad case
There is also Crime No. 537/2009 of Rajendranagar Police Station, another case in the same Telangana High Court judgment. The court record says the complainant was approached with an alleged Rice Puller described as an auspicious antique item, after which he and another person were allegedly assaulted, robbed and threatened with a ransom demand.
This means the Telangana court record alone documents four separate Crime Numbers—100/2009, 224/2009, 69/2009 and 537/2009—arising from different victims/police stations, although they were part of the same broader criminal episode/group.
A particularly important finding
The Delhi High Court record is exceptionally useful for IBG NEWS, because it goes beyond newspaper reporting.
In relation to FIR 86/2016, the court record states that alleged Rice Puller certificates were purportedly associated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Balasore, but were subsequently found to be forged. The court record also says the State alleged that fake DRDO emblems were used on Rice Pullers to deceive people.
The same judicial record explicitly records the State’s position that there was no DRDO/NASA involvement in manufacturing any Rice Puller.
That is much stronger evidence for an IBG NEWS investigation than simply repeating the claim that “Rice Puller is a scam.”
The official RBI warning
The Reserve Bank of India itself issued a public warning on July 31, 2018, stating that unscrupulous persons were marketing alleged copper/iridium “Rice Pullers” and claiming that they possessed magical rice-attracting properties. RBI warned that people could suffer direct financial losses and advised the public to report such cases to investigating authorities.
Important editorial caution
I would not publish these as “10 FIRs proving the same scam syndicate.” They are 10 documented Rice Puller/Rice Pulling-related criminal cases, involving different locations, periods, accused persons and circumstances.
Also, where a source does not disclose an FIR number, I have deliberately not manufactured one. That distinction is important if IBG NEWS is preparing a legally defensible investigative report.
If you want, I can next do a much deeper investigation and compile 25–50 RP FIRs across India, with FIR number, police station, year, sections of law, accused, victim/loss amount, court case number, present status and source document in a research table suitable for an IBG NEWS investigative series.
IBG NEWS presents this article as a public-awareness report. References to criminal cases describe allegations reported by law-enforcement agencies and news organisations and should not be interpreted as findings of guilt.
Editorial note: This version has been rebuilt with an original structure and original phrasing rather than paraphrasing the supplied articles line-by-line. The factual claims about RBI/DAE warnings and reported criminal cases should remain attributed to their respective sources.
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
