Pune: In two separate incidents, fraudsters deceived individuals by posing as authorities and investment experts, leading to significant financial losses.

A 34-year-old woman from Wakad fell victim to a scam where fraudsters extorted ₹15.25 lakh by posing as a Telecom Department representative and a police officer. The incident occurred between December 2 and December 10.

The fraudsters alleged that SIM cards registered in the victim's name were used for illegal activities, including money laundering. They claimed that cases were registered in Tilak Nagar and Andheri police stations in Mumbai.

A person posing as Police Sub-Inspector Hemraj Koli further alleged that ₹25 crore worth of transactions were conducted using the victim's account. Under the pretext of resolving the issue, they coerced her into transferring ₹15.25 lakh. Wakad police are investigating the incident.

In a separate online fraud, a 42-year-old man was deceived into investing ₹76.11 lakh under the guise of IPO and trading opportunities. Between November 10 and December 31, fraudsters sent messages on WhatsApp, luring the victim into joining a trading group.

They shared links to videos promoting block trading and IPO investments, promising high returns. Believing the false promises, the victim transferred ₹76.11 lakh to the fraudsters. A case has been registered at the Cyber Police Station, and investigations are underway.