Pune: A 62-year-old woman from Balewadi fell victim to a black magic scam, losing ₹28.77 lakh after an unidentified man manipulated her into believing her house was cursed.

The fraudster promised to remove negative influences affecting her daughter and home, convincing her to transfer money for performing rituals. The Chatuhshrungi Police have registered a case against the accused, and an investigation is underway.

According to police reports, the complainant, who lives in a society in Balewadi, was first contacted by the fraudster in December 2023 via phone. The caller claimed that her house had been affected by black magic and that her daughter was under negative influences.

Preying on her fears and beliefs, the fraudster convinced her that specific rituals were required to remove the curse and rectify Vastu Dosh (architectural defects).

To carry out these rituals, the woman was repeatedly asked to transfer money online. Over time, she transferred a total of ₹28.77 lakh into a bank account specified by the fraudster.

After months of transactions, the woman realized she had been scammed and approached the Chaturshringi Police Station. Following her complaint, a fraud case was registered against the unknown accused.

Assistant Police Inspector Anil Kekan is leading the investigation. The police are currently tracing the bank transactions and trying to identify the accused.