Cyber Thieves Impersonate Police Officers, Steal Rs 70 Lakh from Senior Citizens in Pune

Pashan, 24th October 2024: Fraud cases involving individuals posing as police officers are on the rise. In recent incidents, cybercriminals have stolen ₹70 lakh from the bank accounts of two senior citizens by impersonating law enforcement officers.

A senior citizen from the Pashan area lodged a complaint at the Chaturshringi Police Station after cyber thieves contacted him via social media in September. Posing as police officers, they sent a fake police identity card to convince him of their legitimacy.

The scammers claimed that black money had been transacted from his bank account and that action would soon be taken. To avoid legal action and assist in the investigation, the thieves coerced the complainant into transferring money immediately. Using the bank account information they obtained, the scammers stole ₹45 lakh from his account.

In another case, an 84-year-old resident of the Tilak Road area was defrauded in a similar manner. Cyber thieves contacted him via phone, extracted his bank details, and stole ₹25.40 lakh. The stolen amount was transferred to multiple accounts.

Crime Branch Police Inspector More is investigating both cases further.