Pune: Kondhwa Resident Duped Of 11.44 Lakhs In Restaurant Review Scam

Pune, 30 May 2024: Cyber crooks are increasingly targeting individuals with promises of quick profits through fraudulent schemes.

In a recent incident, a 42-year-old Kondhwa resident lodged a complaint with the Kondhwa Police Station after being duped by an unknown caller. The scammer posed as a recruiter offering a part-time job opportunity, enticing the victim to post reviews of hotels and restaurants online.

Over several months, from March 2023 to November 2023, the fraudster gradually gained the victim’s trust. Under the guise of a prepaid task, the victim was convinced to pay a total of ₹11,44,000. Despite assurances of lucrative returns, the victim neither received any commission nor recovered the principal amount.

Realizing he had been defrauded, the victim promptly filed a complaint. The police are currently investigating the matter.

In a similar case, a working professional from Hadapsar fell prey to another fraudulent scheme. An individual posing as an HR professional from a multinational corporation lured her with promises of high returns on investments. Trusting the scammer’s convincing pitch, the woman invested ₹9,53,000. When she received neither the promised returns nor her initial investment back, she reported the incident to the Hadapsar Police Station. Both cases are under investigation.