Pune: Fell in Love with ‘Anamika’ on Dating App, Lost Life’s Savings as She Turned Out to Be Cybercriminal; Shocking Incident in Pimple Saudagar
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Pimple Saudagar, 17th June 2025: In a disturbing case of online fraud, a 45-year-old engineer from Pune lost his life savings of Rs 1.55 crore after being duped by cybercriminals posing as a woman on a dating app. The victim met “Anamika” on the dating app Truly Madly, who introduced herself as a resident of Bengaluru and gradually built emotional trust before luring him into a fake investment trap.
The engineer, a resident of Kokane Chowk in Pimple Saudagar, was convinced by “Anamika” to invest in stock trading to “secure their future together.” She also asked for money, claiming it was to help with house loan installments. In total, the victim transferred Rs 1,55,37,000 through a fake stock trading platform and to a so-called property dealer.
Realizing he had been duped, the victim approached the Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Police Station. Acting swiftly, the Cyber Police arrested three suspects from Pune International Airport while they were allegedly trying to flee to Nepal via Patna. Contrary to the victim’s belief, there was no woman involved, “Anamika” was a fabricated identity created by the male fraudsters.
The accused have been identified as: Shubham Chandrakant Mantha (25), Swapnil Chandulal Baheti (35), Prashik Uttam Navghare (26), all residents of Solapur. They were booked under Sections 318 (cheating), 316 (criminal breach of trust), and 3 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Sandeep Doiphode, stated that the trio used a bank account registered in Solapur for the fraudulent transactions. During investigation, another individual, Amit Ekbote, was questioned, whose account had been used by the accused under the pretext of online gaming transactions.
Police confirmed that the accused had links to international cybercrime networks, with Shubham currently employed at a company based in China. Investigations revealed their connections with cybercriminals operating from China, raising concerns about growing global cyber fraud rings.
