Pune News: Elderly Man From Nigdi Defrauded Of ₹2.65 Lakh Over Fake Water Connection Cut-Off Threat
Pune News: Elderly Man From Nigdi Defrauded Of ₹2.65 Lakh Over Fake Water Connection Cut-Off Threat
An elderly resident of Nigdi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, was scammed out of ₹2.65 lakh after fraudsters posed as municipal water supply officials and threatened to disconnect his water connection. The incident came to light when 76-year-old Ratanlal Murli Sharma, a resident of Yamunanagar, lodged a complaint with the cyber police. Based on his complaint, a case has been registered against two suspects.
According to the police, the fraudsters called Sharma and falsely claimed that his water bill for the current month was unpaid. They warned that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) would disconnect his water supply. The scammers then instructed him to contact an official named Divesh Joshi. They also sent him a file titled “Pipeline Water Update” via social media, tricking him into downloading it. Once he did, the fraudsters gained access to his bank details and withdrew ₹2,65,509 from his account. The cyber police are investigating the case.
PCMC has urged citizens to ignore fake SMS messages about water disconnection and report such fraudulent numbers to the cyber police. The civic body clarified that while action is being taken against properties with pending water bills, official notices are sent through proper channels.
