Pune : Retired Coal India Employee Scammed of Rs 28 Lakh by Fake Provident Fund Officer

Authorities in Pune are investigating a distressing case where a 76-year-old retired employee of a public sector undertaking (PSU) fell victim to cyber fraud, losing a substantial sum of Rs 28 lakh. The fraudsters posed as officials from the Coal Miners’ Provident Fund (CMPF), based in Dhanbad, and exploited the retired individual’s trust to carry out the scam.

The intricate scheme involved the perpetrators contacting the retired individual under the guise of activating online pension account management. Posing as a CMPF officer, the fraudster convinced the victim to divulge sensitive financial details. Subsequently, the victim was coerced into making token payments, ultimately resulting in the loss of Rs 28 lakh.

Investigations have uncovered that the scamsters gained access to the victim’s bank account and leveraged it to secure a loan of Rs 24 lakh against fixed deposits, exacerbating the financial loss. Authorities are diligently probing the incident to ascertain how the fraudsters obtained access to the pension account and identity details of the victim, a breach that facilitated the deceitful act.

This unfortunate incident underscores the prevalence of cyber fraud and the importance of vigilance in safeguarding personal and financial information, particularly among vulnerable populations such as retirees. Authorities urge the public to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of any requests for sensitive information or financial transactions to mitigate the risk of falling prey to similar scams.