Cyber Fraud In Pune: Fraudsters Posing As Govt Officials Cheat Two Senior Citizens Of ₹3.29 Crore

Two elderly citizens in Pune were duped of over Rs 3.29 crore by fraudsters who posed as officials and threatened them with arrest in fabricated money laundering cases, officials said on Thursday.

In the first incident, a 70-year-old resident of Erandwanelodged a complaint at the Cyber Police Station, stating that he and his wife were duped between January 13 and February 4. The fraudster allegedly posed as Rahul Roy from the Personal Data Protection of India office in Andheri West and claimed that the victim's Aadhaar card had been misused to open fake bank accounts involved in a money laundering case.

The caller further told the couple that obscene videos and photographs were being circulated through a mobile number linked to the victim's Aadhaar.

Additionally, they were also informed that the case was connected to the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and involved a fraud of Rs 1.5 crore. The accused allegedly threatened and warned them not to disclose the matter to anyone, as it was sensitive and the interrogation was confidential and ordered by the Supreme Court.

Under constant pressure and threats of arrest, the frightened couple transferred a total of Rs 2,01,90,247 into various bank accounts as instructed by the fraudsters. So terrified were they by the threats that they did not even inform their daughter and son-in-law, who reside in the city.

Similarly, in the second case, an 86-year-old resident of Wanawadi also fell victim to a similar scam. According to his complaint to the Cyber Police, he received a WhatsApp call on December 19, 2025, from persons dressed in police uniforms, posing as Mumbai Police officers identified as S. Laxman and Pradeep Sawant.

The fraudsters claimed that a money laundering case had been registered against him at Colaba Police Station and alleged that a bank account in his name at Canara Bank had been used for illegal transactions. They threatened him with arrest and demanded verification of his bank accounts.

Under pressure, the elderly man shared his bank details and was coerced into transferring Rs 1,27,53,000 into multiple accounts for so-called verification.