Online Scam Alert: Pune Resident Duped of Rs 72 Lakh by Scammer Posing as MNGL Employee

A 66-year-old Pune resident, Bharat Umaji Padekar, of Shivajinagar, was duped of Rs 72 lakh by an online scammer posing as an Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) employee.

Padekar filed a complaint with Shivajinagar police, who registered a case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

According to police, Padekar received a call from an unknown number, with the caller identifying himself as Rahul Sharma from MNGL. The caller claimed Padekar had an outstanding gas bill of Rs 514 and needed to clear it immediately. The accused gained Padekar's trust and instructed him to open the MNGL website on Google Chrome. He then guided Padekar through a process that resulted in unauthorized debit card transactions and a pre-sanctioned personal loan being withdrawn from Padekar's account.

The complaint details that Padekar received multiple debit transaction messages for varying amounts and a notification of a Rs 1,622,310 loan. A total of Rs 7,218,45 was withdrawn from his account without his knowledge. Padekar reported the incident to the police, and an investigation is underway.

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Pune Police Issue Cybercrime Advisory

Pune has seen a rise in online fraud, with 11 out of 14 fraud cases registered on April 5 being internet-related. The Pune City Police Cyber Cell issued an advisory warning citizens about online scams perpetrated by individuals posing as officials from organisations like Interpol, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

The press release from Pune City Police cautioned the public about various online scams, including loan app fraud, trading fraud, task fraud, man-in-the-middle fraud, social media friend request fraud, and sextortion.

The advisory states that cybercriminals contact victims through social media, posing as officials. They gain trust and convince victims to transfer large sums of money by sending fake documents and threatening legal action. Scammers also use phishing tactics, sending links supposedly from utility companies or banks, urging victims to click and update information or make payments, ultimately defrauding them.

Authorities advise citizens to be cautious of suspicious phone calls and emails. Cybercrime victims can report incidents to the Cyber police station at 020-297710097, 7058719371, or the national cybercrime hotline 1930. Online complaints can be filed at cybercrime.gov.in.