Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Man Scammed of Rs 45 Lakhs by Fake Mumbai Crime Branch Callers
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Pimpri Chinchwad, 10th July 2024: A man from Pimpri Chinchwad was defrauded of over Rs 45 lakhs by callers pretending to be from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. The scammers falsely informed him of a criminal case filed against him, used various threats, and induced anxiety, leading him to transfer the money through online transactions between the 1st and 4th of July.
The 65-year-old victim lodged a complaint at the Pimpri Police Station. Pimpri Police have registered a case against the holders of two phone numbers, identified as Aaditya Saxena and Aarya Singh, under sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery), and 204 (personating a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
According to police reports, unidentified individuals contacted the victim via phone calls and social media messages. Initially, they claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and later identified themselves as Mumbai Crime Branch officers using different aliases. The perpetrators alleged that the victim’s Aadhaar card had been used to procure SIM cards involved in fraudulent activities such as sending video calls, pornography, and obscene messages. They falsely asserted that a money laundering case had been filed against the victim and demanded money to settle the case. Using fake documents sent via WhatsApp, they deceived the victim into transferring Rs 25,000 initially, followed by Rs 45 lakhs.
The victim promptly reported the incident to the police, leading to further investigation by Police Inspector (Crime) Dhananjay Kapare from Pimpri Police Station.
Investment Promise Leads to Rs 55 Lakh Fraud
In a similar incident, a 37-year-old man from Moshi was defrauded of Rs 55,51,342 after being promised 15% weekly returns on his investment. The fraudsters, allegedly identified as Aaditya Saxena and Aarya Singh, promised returns totaling Rs 2,77,98,152. However, the victim neither received his invested amount nor the promised returns. He filed a case at MIDC Bhosari Police Station, with Senior Police Inspector Ganesh Jamadar taking charge of the investigation.
