Pune: Fraudsters Dupe Citizen of Rs 44.50 Lakh in Pimpri-Chinchwad; Cyber Police Arrest One from Baner
Pimpri-Chinchwad, 9th May 2025: A cyber fraudster who duped a Pimpri-Chinchwad resident of Rs 44.50 lakh has been arrested by the Cyber Police Station of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police, following a technical investigation. The accused lured the complainant with promises of massive profits displayed on a fake trading app.
Cyber Police have arrested Akshay Rajendra Banekar, a resident of Baner. A case had been registered at Kalewadi Police Station based on messages received from WhatsApp number 6376786960 (allegedly operated by someone claiming to be ‘Vishal’) and 8528341829 (claiming to be a trading manager named Divya Bhat).
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode said the complainant was added to a WhatsApp group titled VIP N3 Stock Market Success Strategies Group and was instructed to download an app called Creation Investments FPI LLC. The victim was promised large profits and began investing based on the group’s claims.
DCP Doiphode further explained that fake profits were shown in the app to gain the victim’s trust. Believing the returns to be genuine, the victim invested Rs 44.50 lakh. When the app showed a fake profit of Rs 2 crore, the fraudsters demanded 15% of the profit (around Rs 30 lakh) as a withdrawal fee. At this point, the victim realized he had been duped.
Police investigations revealed that the funds had been transferred to a bank account under the name Jewel Throne Agrocorp Private Limited. The account was linked to Akshay Banekar and Ganesh Thorat. Banekar was arrested from Baner and has confessed to the crime.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior police officials, led by Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale.
