Scammers Accuse Pune Woman of Sharing Weapon Photos in Pahalgam Attack, Dupe Her of Rs 51 Lakh
Kothrud, 3rd November 2025: A 57-year-old woman from Kothrud lost ₹51 lakh after being tricked by cyber fraudsters who falsely accused her of involvement in a money laundering case and claimed she had circulated photos of weapons during the Pahalgam terror attack.
According to the complaint filed with the Pune Cybercrime Police, the woman received a call on September 25 from an unknown person claiming to be a police officer. The caller alleged that she had shared pictures of weapons online during the Pahalgam attack that took place between September 25 and 30, and warned that she could face legal consequences.
Senior Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde of the Pune Cybercrime Police said, “The fraudsters told the complainant that her bank account was under investigation in a money laundering case. Pretending to verify her financial records, they instructed her to transfer her funds to another account, assuring that the amount would be returned after verification.”
Believing the story, the woman transferred ₹51 lakh to the account number provided by the scammers. However, when she later tried to contact them, their phone numbers were found switched off.
Inspector Shinde explained, “This is a classic example of a ‘digital arrest’ scam where cybercriminals impersonate law enforcement officials to create fear and extort money. The woman was never involved in any illegal activity or shared any weapon-related images.”
A case has been registered under Sections 308 (extortion), 318 (cheating), and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Police are investigating the trail of the transferred money and the identities of the fraudsters.
