Cyber Fraud Cases Surge in Pune: Women Duped of Over Rs 17 Lakh in Separate Online Scams

Pune, 3rd November 2025: Cybercriminals are increasingly preying on Pune residents through intimidation, fake investment schemes, and deceptive online friendships. In three separate incidents reported this month, women collectively lost more than Rs 17 lakh to sophisticated online scams involving fake police threats, investment fraud, and a gift parcel racket.

Fake Police Threat: Yerawada Woman Loses Rs 6.15 Lakh

In the first case, a Yerawada-based woman was cheated of Rs 6.15 lakh after scammers impersonating police officers called her, claiming that a parcel sent in her name had been intercepted at the airport containing narcotics. The fraudsters warned her of imminent arrest unless she immediately transferred money to settle the “case.”
Panicked by the threat, the woman transferred the amount, only to later realize she had been duped. A complaint has been registered at Yerawada Police Station, and Senior Police Inspector Anjum Bagwan is leading the investigation.

Police officials noted a rising trend of cyber fraudsters posing as officers from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to extort money from citizens.

Investment Scam: Hadapsar Woman Defrauded of Rs 8.77 Lakh
In another case, a woman from Hadapsar was tricked into investing Rs 8.77 lakh in a fake stock trading scheme. The con artists promised lucrative returns and guided her through multiple transactions over a few weeks. When no profits appeared and the scammers went incommunicado, she realized she had fallen victim to a fraud.
The Crime Branch, under Inspector Nilesh Jagdale, is investigating the case.

Social Media Gift Trap: Rs 2.77 Lakh Lost
In the third incident, a Raviwar Peth resident befriended a man on social media who claimed to be living abroad. He promised to send her valuable gifts. Shortly after, she received a call from someone posing as a customs officer, who claimed the parcel had been seized at the airport and demanded money for its release. Believing the story, she paid Rs 2.77 lakh before discovering the fraud.
Inspector Namwade from Faraskhana Police Station is handling the probe.