Pune Engineer Loses ₹7 Lakh After Phone Stolen, Fraudsters Use Online Payment App
Pune: Hadapsar Man Poses As CBI Officer, Dupes Victim In Fraud Scheme
A 54-year-old executive engineer with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) lost ₹7 lakh after his phone, containing his official number, was stolen. Fraudsters used an online payment app to siphon the funds through 18 transactions.
The theft occurred on September 7, when the engineer visited the Gadital market in Hadapsar to buy a Ganesh idol. His PMC-issued phone was stolen during the visit.
The complainant reported the theft on Pune city police’s ‘lost and found’ portal the same day. A complaint report was generated. However, he was unable to block the number as he did not know the registered email address associated with it.
About a week later, he discovered that 18 transactions had been made from his bank account using an online payment application linked to the stolen phone number. Shocked by the fraud, he approached the Hadapsar police station.
An FIR was filed under sections of the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita related to cheating and impersonation.
“We have launched a probe into the case. Initial findings suggest the transactions were made to individuals and businesses,” said an officer from the Hadapsar police station.
The incident highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud linked to mobile phone thefts. The stolen phone’s official number gave the fraudsters access to sensitive financial information, enabling them to drain the account.
The police are investigating the trail of transactions to trace the recipients of the stolen money.
Citizens are urged to immediately block stolen numbers to prevent unauthorized access to personal and financial information.
