Pune: Senior Citizen in Kothrud Falls Victim to ₹10 Lakh Insurance Fraud
Pune: Senior Citizen in Kothrud Falls Victim to ₹10 Lakh Insurance Fraud
In a distressing case of cybercrime, a 71-year-old resident of Dahanukar Colony in Kothrud, Pune, was defrauded of over ₹10 lakh by cybercrooks impersonating officials from the Employees’ Provident Fund Office (EPFO) in New Delhi.
The fraudulent scheme, which unfolded between July and November last year, saw the victim duped into believing that his pending group insurance sum of ₹10.58 lakh would be released.
According to reports, the victim, who retired from a Mumbai-based biotechnology company in 2012, received a call from a woman claiming to represent the EPFO. She informed him about the pending insurance sum and instructed him to contact a finance officer for further details. Subsequently, the victim was assured by the finance officer that he would receive the sum along with additional benefits.
However, the fraudsters exploited the victim’s trust by coercing him into making multiple payments under the guise of security deposits and processing fees. The victim, unaware of the deception, transferred a total of ₹10.15 lakh to the perpetrators’ accounts.
Realizing that he had fallen victim to a scam, the senior citizen ceased all communication with the fraudsters. The incident underscores the prevalence of cyber fraud and highlights the vulnerability of individuals, particularly seniors, to sophisticated online scams. An investigation into the matter has been initiated by the authorities to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
