Pune residents allegedly cheated of lakhs in digital arrest threats, fake challans and crypto investment scams

Pune residents were allegedly cheated of lakhs in digital arrest threats, fake challans and crypto investment scams, among them a 75-year-old woman from Karvenagar who was allegedly cheated of ₹32 lakh.

On November 6, callers told her that a case had been registered against her over an alleged ₹2 crore financial fraud involving a bank in Nashik. They threatened her with a so-called digital arrest and warned that her property would be seized.

She transferred ₹32 lakh through RTGS transactions over two to three days. She realised she had been cheated when they demanded more.

Warje Police registered a case in the Karvenagar fraud. Police Inspector Suvarna Hulwan of the Crime Branch is investigating.

An Ambegaon Budruk resident was allegedly cheated of ₹5.20 lakh by fraudsters posing as officials from the Department of Telecommunications in Delhi. They claimed his mobile number had been used for drug trafficking and threatened him with arrest.

After fraudsters lured him with promises of lucrative returns through cryptocurrency investments, a young businessman was allegedly cheated of ₹5.13 lakh.

A businessman living in a society along Pune-Satara Road was allegedly cheated of ₹6.81 lakh. Fraudsters sent him a fake traffic challan and threatened legal action, and allegedly misused his bank account details to withdraw money.

Bharati Vidyapeeth, Bibwewadi and Swargate police stations received complaints. Those cases are being investigated by Police Inspector Rangrao Pawar of the Crime Branch, Senior Police Inspector Ashwini Satpute and Police Inspector Vikas Bharmal of the Crime Branch.