A local businessman from Ambernath, Viraiah Maharudraiah Pujar, has fallen victim to a sophisticated phone scam, losing a staggering ₹36,38,000. The 42-year-old resident of Ambernath West was deceived by unknown callers who posed as customer service representatives from three different companies. These scammers convinced Pujar to invest in the stock market through mobile apps, promising high returns.
Between April and July, Pujar transferred money to various bank accounts as instructed by the callers, who directed him to use specific apps for these transactions. Initially believing it to be a wise investment, Pujar soon became suspicious when he failed to retrieve his invested amount or the promised returns. Realizing he had been duped, he promptly reported the incident to the Ambernath West Police Station.
Based on Pujar's complaint, the police have registered a case (No. 1022/2024) under Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, against the unidentified perpetrators behind this fraudulent scheme. Police Inspector Shinde is leading efforts to track down the culprits by investigating the phone numbers and bank accounts involved in the scam.