Pune: A 71-year-old man from Pune’s Kothrud lost Rs 74 lakh after cyber fraudsters allegedly kept him under a fake “digital arrest” for several days. Posing as Mumbai police officers, the scammers falsely accused him of being linked to a money laundering case and threatened him with arrest before convincing him to transfer his savings.
The fraud took place between June 27 and July 1. The victim later approached the Pune Cyber Police, who have registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to police, the victim first received a call from an unknown number on June 27. The caller claimed to be a Mumbai police officer and alleged that the man’s Aadhaar details had been used in illegal financial transactions connected to a money laundering case.
The fraudsters then told him he was under “digital arrest” and warned him not to tell anyone about the investigation. They also collected details of his bank accounts, fixed deposits and other investments before directing him to transfer Rs 74 lakh to multiple bank accounts, claiming the money would be returned after verification.
The victim realised he had been cheated only after the promised refund never came. Pune Cyber Police have registered a case under Sections 308 (extortion), 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. The investigation is underway.
