Pune: A 63-year-old retired bank officer from Kondhwa fell victim to an online stock market investment scam, losing ₹46.75 lakh to cybercriminals. However, in a significant success, the Cyber Crime Unit of Kondhwa Police Station recovered ₹43 lakh, providing major relief to the victim.
The Scam: How the Senior Citizen Was Trapped
The fraudsters contacted the senior citizen via mobile message, luring him with high returns on stock market investments. Believing it to be a genuine opportunity, the victim transferred large sums of money into the fraudsters' bank accounts.
Initially, the scammers gained his trust by sending small returns, convincing him to continue investing. Over time, he transferred a total of ₹46.75 lakh. However, the fraudsters eventually stopped responding and did not return any money. Realizing he had been deceived, the victim filed an online complaint with the National Cyber Crime Portal, after which the Kondhwa Police registered a case and began an investigation.
Cyber Police Investigation and Recovery of Stolen Funds
During the investigation, police identified the fraudsters’ bank accounts where the victim had transferred the money. The Cyber Crime Unit, led by Assistant Police Inspectors Mohsin Pathan, Rahul Shitole, and Ashwini Sawant, examined the financial transactions and traced the funds. Acting swiftly, the police coordinated with the concerned banks and froze ₹43 lakh. Following a court order, the frozen amount was successfully returned to the victim’s bank account.
Successful Operation Led by Senior Police Officials
The operation was carried out under the guidance of:
Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr. Rajkumar Shinde
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dhanyakumar Godse
Also assisting in the investigation were Senior Police Inspector Vinay Patankar, Crime Inspector Rauf Sheikh, and Assistant Inspectors Mayur Vairagkar, Arun Kite, and Lavesh Shinde.
