‘I want a man who can make me a mother’: Pune contractor cheated of Rs 11 lakh in bizarre ‘pregnancy job’ cyber scam
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A 44-year-old contractor from Pune lost ₹11 lakh after falling for an online scam that promised him ₹25 lakh for impregnating a woman. What seemed like a strange but lucrative offer turned into a sophisticated cyber fraud that left him duped and financially drained.
According to the FIR filed at Baner Police Station, the contractor came across a video ad on social media in early September. In the clip, a woman speaking in Hindi said, “I’m looking for a man who can help me become a mother. I’ll pay him ₹25 lakh. His education, caste, or looks don’t matter.”
Intrigued, the man called the number shown in the video. The person who answered claimed to be an assistant from an organisation called “Pregnant Job” and told him he had to complete some registration steps before being officially selected for the “job.”
Over the next few weeks, the scammers kept asking for money under various excuses — registration, ID card, verification, GST, TDS, and other charges. To make the scam seem real, they kept in touch regularly and demanded smaller amounts each time. Between early September and October 23, the victim made over 100 online payments via UPI and IMPS, adding up to ₹11 lakh.
When he began questioning the delays, the fraudsters blocked his number and vanished. Realising he had been cheated, he filed a complaint at Baner Police Station. The police have started tracing the phone numbers, accounts, and digital trails linked to the fraud.
An investigating officer told The Indian Express, “The scammers used psychological manipulation and urgency to trap the victim. We are tracking their digital footprints to identify those behind it.”
Cyber experts say similar scams have been active in several states since late 2022. Fraudsters post fake ads under names like “Pregnant Job Service,” showing women offering large sums for “pregnancy jobs.” Victims are then asked to pay for fake medical exams, legal procedures, and refundable deposits before the scammers disappear.
Police in states including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have made arrests in comparable cases, revealing these scams as part of larger organized networks exploiting social media users’ curiosity and greed.
