Special Correspondent
Pune: In two alarming cases of cyber fraud, a woman from Ghorpade Peth and a man from Pashan were collectively swindled out of ₹41 lakh. The incidents have prompted investigations by the Mundhwa and Baner police, alongside the cyber crime unit.
A 37-year-old woman from Ghorpade Peth filed a complaint with Mundhwa Police after being defrauded of ₹23.5 lakh. According to her statement, cyber criminals lured her with promises of high returns on stock market investments.
Trusting their claims, she deposited the substantial amount into their account. When she requested a refund, the fraudsters refused, leading her to seek police intervention.
In the second case, a 44-year-old man from Pashan lost ₹17.74 lakh after falling victim to a similar scam. On September 17, he received a link via SMS, urging him to download an app that supposedly offered lucrative stock market investment opportunities.
Initially, the scammers returned a portion of his investment to gain his trust. Encouraged by the partial refunds, he continued investing until he realized he had been duped when the refunds stopped. He then reported the incident to the Baner Police.
Authorities are urging residents to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited investment offers. The cyber police are conducting further investigations into both cases.