Pune Techie’s Aadhaar Misused to Open Multiple Bank Accounts in Online Booking Scam

Pune, 29th December 2025: Hadapsar police have registered a case of cyber fraud after a 36-year-old software engineer reported that his Aadhaar details were misused by fraudsters to open multiple bank accounts following a fake online pilgrimage booking.

The complainant, who works from home for a Bengaluru-based software company, approached the police on Saturday after discovering that his identity had been exploited for financial fraud. Investigators said the cheating operation unfolded in two stages. “The accused first tried to extract money directly. When that failed to fetch significant amounts, they misused the victim’s Aadhaar to open mule accounts through online banking platforms,” a police officer said.

The incident began in the first week of November when the engineer and his family were planning a trip to a major religious destination in Maharashtra. While searching the internet for accommodation and pooja arrangements, he came across a website that closely resembled that of a reputed religious trust. Police suspect the site was fraudulent and created to deceive devotees.

After clicking on a contact number listed on the website, the engineer was redirected to a WhatsApp chat. The person responding to the query asked for a photograph of his Aadhaar card and an online payment of ₹4,100 to confirm the booking. Believing the request to be genuine, the complainant shared the document and transferred the amount.

Soon after, the caller, who introduced himself as “Abhishek,” contacted the engineer again and claimed that the actual booking amount was ₹4,346, including GST. He assured the complainant that the earlier payment would be refunded and asked him to pay the revised sum. Trusting the explanation, the engineer made the second payment.

According to the complaint, the fraudster later claimed that the refund had already been processed, though no amount was credited to the complainant’s account. The deception escalated further when the caller alleged that an excess payment of ₹40,900 had been mistakenly transferred to the complainant and demanded that it be returned. “When the complainant checked his bank account and found no such credit, he realised something was wrong,” the officer said.

The engineer immediately alerted his bank through its customer care helpline. Despite the incident, the family proceeded with their pilgrimage as planned. However, while returning to Pune the following day, the complainant received multiple emails from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), informing him that six bank accounts had been opened using his Aadhaar number across different banks via online processes.

Alarmed by the alerts, the complainant contacted the UIDAI helpline at 1947 and the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 to report identity theft. During a visit to an Aadhaar enrolment centre, he learnt that the mobile number linked to his Aadhaar had been changed by the fraudsters, allowing them to misuse his credentials.

Using biometric authentication, the complainant restored the registered mobile number to his wife’s and subsequently locked his Aadhaar biometrics to prevent further misuse. Further verification at one of the banks confirmed that an account had indeed been opened in his name and that transactions had already been carried out.

The complainant then approached all six banks to initiate the closure of the fraudulent accounts before filing a detailed complaint at the Hadapsar police station. Based on his statement, police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation to identify the cyber fraud network involved.