Pune: In a worrying trend, cyber fraudsters in Pune have been posing as police officers and using threats of legal action to defraud senior citizens.

In two recent cases, elderly residents were targeted, resulting in a total loss of ₹70 lakh from their bank accounts via online transactions.

The first case was reported at the Chatuhshrungi Police Station, where a senior citizen from the Pashan area was scammed.

In September, cyber criminals contacted the victim through social media, impersonating police officers.

They provided fake identification and falsely claimed that illegal transactions involving black money had been made from the victim’s bank account.

Using the pretext of avoiding criminal charges, the fraudsters convinced the senior citizen to make immediate payments. By gaining access to the victim’s bank details, they managed to steal ₹45 lakh.

In another incident, an 84-year-old resident of Tilak Road fell prey to a similar scheme. The fraudsters contacted the victim via a mobile number, acquired the victim’s bank account details, and fraudulently withdrew ₹25.40 lakh.

The stolen amount was transferred across multiple bank accounts. Crime Branch Inspector More is currently leading the investigation.

These cases highlight a disturbing rise in fraud schemes where cyber criminals, posing as law enforcement, exploit the fear of legal action to extort money from vulnerable citizens.

Over recent months, such scams have resulted in significant financial losses, with criminals stealing crores of rupees from unsuspecting victims.