Pune Doctor Duped Of ₹12.31 Crore In Online Trading Scam

Pune: A 75-year-old doctor from Hadapsar was cheated of Rs 12.31 crore by cyber fraudsters over a span of nearly two months. Police said the accused lured him with promises of quick returns of 8–10% through online share trading.

The fraud took place between 30th January and 20th March. The victim, a general physician whose son is also a well-known doctor, transferred money in multiple transactions ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 3 crore.

According to officials, this is the second-largest cyber fraud reported in Pune this year. Earlier, an 85-year-old retired businessman from the same area lost Rs 22.03 crore in a similar scam.

Senior Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde, in charge of Pune Cyber Police Station, said the doctor was added to a group on a messaging app. The group shared posts claiming high profits from stock trading, which convinced him to invest.

He later contacted the group administrator, who sent him a link to a trading app. Initially, the doctor invested through the app but did not see any major returns.

Case Registered, Investigation Underway

The fraudsters then advised him to invest in high-value stocks and offered help. They asked him to transfer money directly to different bank accounts for stock purchases.

Police said the victim transferred a total of ₹12.31 crore into eight different accounts. The app later showed a fake profit of ₹54 crore.

However, when the doctor tried to withdraw the money, the accused demanded more payments. It was then that he realised he had been cheated and approached the police.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Authorities have once again urged citizens to remain cautious while investing online and to verify platforms before transferring large sums of money.