A clerk employed with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and residing in Shivajinagar has filed a complaint with the Chatushrungi police, alleging that cybercriminals defrauded him of Rs 26.2 lakh through a foreign exchange (forex) trading scam. The fraudulent transactions occurred between April 22 and May 17.
Complaint and FIR Registration
The clerk initially lodged a complaint application with the Pune cyber police. Following verification of the application, a formal First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Chatushrungi police station on Tuesday evening.
Modus Operandi of the Scam
Senior inspector Uttam Bhajnawale of the Chatushrungi police provided details of the scam. He stated that the complainant was at home when he received a call from a fraudster. The fraudster, posing as a woman, informed him about the potential profits from trading different currencies online.
The fraudster then instructed the clerk to download a mobile application and upload personal details, including his PAN card, Aadhaar card, email address, and a selfie, to register on the app. Subsequently, the fraudster created a user ID for the clerk on the application.
Bhajnawale explained, “The clerk created a password and began trading in forex. The application displayed a profit of Rs 10,556. The suspect or suspects transferred this amount to the clerk’s bank account, thereby gaining his trust.”
“The clerk stated that the fraudsters then asked him to invest more money in the forex trading and provided three bank accounts. The clerk transferred Rs 26.17 lakh to these accounts,” Bhajnawale added.
The app showed a substantial profit on this investment. However, when the clerk attempted to withdraw the profit, the suspects prevented him from doing so.
