A 70-year-old Pune resident lost ₹4.81 lakh after receiving a WhatsApp message offering pension card registration.
How Did the Fraud Happen?
The victim, Dilip Eknath Waikar, a resident of Pashan, received a WhatsApp message concerning pension card registration between September 8 and 9. He was allegedly instructed to open the message and provide his bank account details to complete the registration process. After following the instructions, Waikar discovered that ₹4.81 lakh had been withdrawn from his bank account without authorisation.
The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Baner police station in Pune, Maharashtra.
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What Action Have Police Taken?
Following the complaint, Baner police registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. The individuals responsible have not been identified, and no arrests have been reported.
The investigation concerns the alleged use of pension-related registration messages to obtain banking information and facilitate unauthorised transactions.
Was Another Pensioner Targeted?
A similar incident was reported in September involving a 72-year-old retired bank employee from Makarba. On September 6, the man encountered a Facebook advertisement offering a pension card purportedly issued by a bank. He applied through the accompanying link.
The following day, an unidentified caller informed him that his application had been approved and requested personal and banking information. After sharing the details, the pensioner received an email notification about an unauthorised transaction of ₹5 lakh. He contacted the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, and approached Sarkhej police. The money had been transferred to an account maintained with Punjab National Bank.
What Do These Cases Reveal?
Both incidents involved pension card offers used to persuade elderly individuals to disclose sensitive financial information. The Pune case began with a WhatsApp message, while the second involved a Facebook advertisement followed by a telephone call. Neither incident establishes that a genuine pension card scheme was involved.
The two cases involve reported losses totalling ₹9.81 lakh. They illustrate how pension-related messages and advertisements can be used to obtain banking details, with unauthorised transactions discovered only after the information has been shared.
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