A sharp rise in online fraud has left residents across Pune reeling, with cybercriminals stealing more than Rs 2.16 crore in a single day. Police registered 11 cybercrime cases across multiple police stations, highlighting the growing scale and variety of digital scams in the city.
Officials said fraudsters used fear, false authority, and promises of quick profits to target victims from different age groups. The methods included fake courier calls, money laundering threats, bogus stock trading apps, prepaid task scams, and malicious links.
One of the biggest losses was reported from Tadiwala Road, where a senior citizen was cheated of Rs 63.40 lakh. Fraudsters posing as officials claimed his bank account was linked to a money laundering case. Under the pretext of an “investigation”, he was pressured into transferring large sums of money.
In Warje, a 58 year old man lost Rs 54.81 lakh after being convinced to invest through a fake trading link. He was asked to install an app called Ghani Security, which turned out to be fraudulent.
A resident of Ganesh Peth in the Khadak area lost Rs 5 lakh in a prepaid task scam on Telegram. He was made to pay money in advance for tasks that never yielded any returns.
In Uttamnagar, a 63 year old woman was cheated of Rs 3.37 lakh through a fake share trading link that promised high profits. A similar stock market scam in Nanded City led to a 47 year old man losing Rs 5.61 lakh after depositing money in stages.
Kothrud reported a major case where a 51 year old resident lost Rs 25 lakh after receiving a fake call claiming his courier parcel was stuck in customs and contained illegal goods.
Prepaid task scams also hit Gokhalenagar and Baner. A man from Gokhalenagar lost Rs 14.69 lakh, while a 45 year old Baner resident was cheated of Rs 25 lakh.
In Wanawadi, cybercriminals withdrew Rs 9.78 lakh from a senior woman’s debit card without any OTP. Another Wanawadi resident, aged 59, lost Rs 5.61 lakh in a share trading fraud. In Chandannagar, a young woman lost around Rs 4 lakh while doing a “review and like” hotel task.
Police have urged citizens to stay alert, avoid unknown links, and never share banking details. Prompt reporting of suspicious activity can help reduce losses.
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