Pune: In a shocking case of financial fraud, a 62-year-old retired bank manager from Pune was duped of ₹2.22 crore by fraudsters over the course of a year. The scammers reportedly used the name of the late Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyay to gain the victim's trust, as revealed in a police complaint filed with the Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

The fraud, which began in late 2023, came to light when the victim reported the incident to the police. According to the complaint, the scammers contacted her under 19 different identities, including as government officials, residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad, and representatives of the Ministry of Finance. Over this period, they managed to convince her to part with a staggering amount of ₹2.22 crore.

The scammers called the victim repeatedly, persuading her to invest in various insurance policies with the promise of high returns. They demanded payments under multiple pretexts, including GST, income tax, TDS, transfer fees, verification fees, and no-objection certificate (NOC) fees.

Adding to their deception, the fraudsters later impersonated officials from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and even the Ministry of Finance.

They intimidated the victim by alleging that her previous payments were stuck in scams and required additional charges to be released. Falling prey to this elaborate scheme, the victim continued to send money.

The victim finally realized the fraud when her losses escalated. She filed a complaint with the Pimpri-Chinchwad police, who have since launched a detailed investigation into the matter.