Pune: A massage therapist in Pune was scammed of ₹25,000 by a man who contacted him through a gay social network app, posed as a police officer, and threatened to file a criminal case against him. The accused, identified as Sameer Begampur, allegedly forced the victim to withdraw the money from an ATM before fleeing.
A 27-year-old victim lodged a complaint at Swargate police station regarding the incident, which took place on February 25 at around 9 PM near Parvati Paytha. Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to police sources, the complainant is a massage therapist who provides services at homes and hotels. He uses a gay dating app called "Walla" to connect with potential clients. On February 25, he received a message from an unknown number, which he assumed was from a customer. Later that evening, at 6 PM, the individual called him and scheduled a meeting.
The accused, Sameer Begampur, met the therapist at the designated location and accompanied him home. Once inside, he falsely claimed to be a police officer and physically assaulted the victim. He then threatened to file a legal case against him unless he paid ₹25,000.
Under duress, the victim was taken to the Kotak Mahindra Bank ATM near Laxmi Narayan Talkies, where he withdrew ₹25,000 and handed it over to the accused. The fraudster then took him to a food stall near Saras Baug for dinner before forcibly taking the cash and fleeing. The police, led by Sub-Inspector Kotkar, are currently investigating the case.