In a major crackdown on financial cybercrime and cheating syndicates, the Pune police have registered three separate fraud cases involving a collective loss of ₹63.30 lakh. The incidents, all formally registered on August 12, 2026, span three different operational methods, including an online stock trading app scam, a fraudulent government job scheme promising employment with the Pune Municipal Corporation, and a credit society loan fraud executed using forged vehicle invoices. The Economic Offences Wing alongside local Cyber Crime units have launched comprehensive digital and financial investigations to trace the beneficiaries and recover the stolen funds.
The pattern across all three cases highlights a recurring strategy of building initial trust through realistic visual proofs, forged institutional paperwork, or sophisticated digital dashboards before demanding significant financial transfers from victims.
Stock Trading App Fraud: Dhayari Resident Duped of ₹32.30 Lakh
The largest of the three financial frauds occurred under the jurisdiction of the Nanded City police station, where a 51-year-old resident of Dhayari lost ₹32.30 lakh to an elaborate stock trading scam. The fraud began when the victim clicked on an investment advertisement on a social media platform, after which he was added to an encrypted messaging group. The operators persuaded him to download a specialized stock trading application, promising guaranteed high returns on his capital.
Between July 9 and August 7, 2026, the victim transferred funds across seven different bank accounts specified by the operators. To maintain the illusion of legitimate trading, the fake application displayed rapidly growing profits, showing a portfolio valuation of approximately ₹1.06 crore. However, when the victim attempted to withdraw his funds, the operators demanded an additional service fee equal to 20 percent of his balance. When he refused and realized the withdrawal was permanently blocked, he approached the police. Authorities have registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 318(4) and 319(2), alongside Information Technology Act Sections 66(C) and 66(D).
Fake Civic Job Offer and Credit Society Loan Fraud
The second case was registered at the Parvati police station after a victim was defrauded of ₹15 lakh under the pretext of securing a job with the Pune Municipal Corporation. The impersonator posed as a PMC sports officer and issued forged appointment letters to convince the victim of the offer’s legitimacy. The fraudster extracted multiple payments under the guise of administrative processing fees, medical clearance charges, and recruitment documentation before the victim questioned the authenticity of the appointment letter and alerted law enforcement.
The third case, registered at the Sahakarnagar police station, involves a loan fraud of ₹16 lakh targeted at a local cooperative credit society. The accused submitted forged vehicle purchase invoices and fabricated bank account credentials to secure credit disbursements from the society. Investigators suspect the fraudulent paperwork was created specifically to siphon off institutional funds, prompting a forensic audit of the submitted invoices and associated bank accounts.
Police Probe Financial Trails and Digital Evidence
The Economic Offences Wing and Cyber Crime branches are analyzing bank records, mobile tower logs, digital signatures, and transaction trails across all three cases to identify the perpetrators. Police are currently working to trace the destination accounts where the cheated ₹63.30 lakh was transferred and establish whether local money mules or larger organized syndicates executed the operations.
Authorities have urged citizens to exercise heightened caution regarding unsolicited social media investment groups, unverified job offers demanding advance payments, and third-party financial intermediaries operating without regulatory oversight.
