Cyber Thieves Defraud Pune Residents of Rs 15 Crore in Seven Months

Pune: In a disturbing trend, cyber thieves have swindled Pune residents out of Rs 15 crore in the past seven months, exploiting fears of money laundering charges and leveraging impersonation tactics. With a staggering 60 victims so far, the menace has shaken the city, exposing the vulnerabilities in cybersecurity awareness.

The modus operandi of these cyber criminals typically begins with a phone call claiming to be from a courier company, such as FedEx. The caller informs the victim that a suspicious parcel, allegedly containing drugs, passports, and credit cards, has been sent from abroad in their name. To amplify the fear, they assert that a case of money laundering has been registered against the victim.

The scam escalates with a video call on WhatsApp, where a person dressed as a police inspector from the crime branch appears, demanding to check the victim’s bank account under the pretence of returning the money after verification. In their panic, victims comply and transfer large sums to the provided bank account. This elaborate deception has led to the registration of 60 cases in Pune, resulting in a loss of Rs 15 crore, 18 lakh, 95 thousand, and 989.

The cyber police station alone has recorded seven cases this year, amounting to Rs 6 crore, 45 lakh, 57 thousand, and 721 lost to the cyber scam. An additional 53 cases have been reported across other police stations in the city, with a cumulative loss of Rs 8 crore, 73 lakh, 38 thousand, and 268.

Every day, Pune sees at least 10 to 15 cybercrime complaints, many lured by the promise of high returns on stock market investments. These scams are primarily traced back to calls originating from Mumbai, often citing the Airport Police or Andheri Police. The final call usually features a man posing as a crime branch officer, demanding money transfers under the threat of arrest.

What should you take care of in such cases?

1. If you get any such call, first of all, do not panic.
2. There is no need to panic if you have not done any courier.
3. Do not pick up such calls.
4. First of all, it should be noted that if there is such an important crime, the police never call and warn the accused.
5. Do not be afraid to talk to cyber thieves pretending to be police officers of the Maharashtra Police Force in Marathi. All police officers in Maharashtra speak Marathi.
6. Police never do home arrests. There is no such thing.
7. The police never ask to transfer money to another account while checking the bank account. So, if someone is saying this, it should be noted that it is definitely a call from a cyberthief.
8. If someone tells you that a case has been registered when you have done nothing, contact the police control room without panic.
9. If someone is calling like this, tell your relatives.