Pune Senior Citizen Loses Rs 5.3 Lakh In Online Scam Over Charger Return
Pune Senior Citizen Loses Rs 5.3 Lakh In Online Scam Over Charger Return
A 71-year-old retired man from Pune lost Rs 5.36 lakh in a cyber fraud while attempting to return a faulty phone charger. The victim, a resident of Sahakar Nagar, had purchased the charger for Rs 800 from a popular e-commerce platform. After the charger stopped working, he searched for a customer care number online and unknowingly contacted a fraudulent number.
The scam began when the fraudster, posing as a customer service representative, claimed a verification call was needed to process the return. The victim was asked to pay a Rs 2 service charge and received a payment link. After clicking the link, the fraudster manipulated him into sharing multiple One-Time Passwords (OTPs), claiming technical errors.
Over six transactions, Rs 5.36 lakh was siphoned from the senior citizen’s bank account. The fraud came to light when his bank notified him of suspicious activity and froze his online banking. Realizing he had been scammed, the victim approached the cyber police, leading to an FIR being registered at Parvati police station.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the phone number and bank accounts used by the criminals.
