Pune Retired Officer Duped of Rs 1.07 Crore, Then Guided to Police by Another Fraudster

A retired government officer lost Rs 1.07 crore to a “digital arrest” scam before another fraudster, posing as a Mumbai police officer, unexpectedly directed him to the cyber police station to file a complaint. 

Police said the first incident occurred in October when the victim received a call from men claiming his Aadhaar and bank account were linked to money laundering. Threatened with arrest, he transferred Rs 1.07 crore into four accounts, draining his savings and fixed deposits. 

Weeks later, in November, another caller introduced himself as a police officer from the crime branch. Upon hearing that the victim had already lost his money, the impersonator instructed him to go to the Pune Cyber Police Station in Shivajinagar. The officer arrived at the station while still on a video call with the fraudster, who then switched to voice mode and asked the police to register a case against the earlier scammers. 

The police confirmed that a complaint was filed and investigations are underway. Officials described the case as unusual, noting that one fraudster inadvertently helped expose another. 

Authorities have warned citizens against falling prey to “digital arrest” scams, where callers impersonate police or government officials and demand money under threat of arrest. Police stressed that no genuine officer will ever seek money over the phone and urged the public to report such calls immediately. 

But not every victim gets such an unusual twist. In January, a 74‑year‑old retired engineer from Warje Malwadi lost Rs 19 lakh in a similar scam. The victim first received a call from a woman claiming to be from the telecom department. She said there were complaints against his SIM card with the Mumbai police and forwarded the call to a supposed “CBI officer.” Soon after, the engineer was on a video call with a man posing as a CBI official, who accused him of money laundering. To make the scam convincing, the fraudster showed a fake identity card, forged CBI letters, and even a bogus court document. Under pressure, the engineer transferred Rs 19 lakh to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

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