Journalism of Courage
Pune woman buys saree online for Rs 1500, loses Rs 1.19 lakh in cyber fraud
Assistant Police Inspector Seema Munde said that between 6 pm and 8 pm on September 29, the woman transferred a total of Rs 1,19,209 to multiple bank accounts through 13 online transactions.
The fraudsters then continued asking her to transfer money, citing different reasons and assuring her that the amounts would be returned. (Image generated using AI)
A 27-year-old woman working with an IT company in Pune lost Rs 1.19 lakh to cyber criminals after she tried to purchase a saree from a fraudulent Instagram account.
The woman lodged an FIR at the Hinjewadi police station in Pimpri Chinchwad on Wednesday.
According to a police press release issued on Thursday, the woman came across reels posted by Instagram accounts named “manish_saree” and “manish_saree_9” on September 29. Believing them to be posted by a garment shop, she checked the information about the sarees featured in the reels.
She liked a saree priced at Rs 1,500 and decided to purchase it online. She contacted the sellers on a WhatsApp number displayed in the reel. The fraudsters then shared bank account details and asked her to transfer the money for the purchase.
After she transferred around Rs 1,500, the fraudsters cited a technical issue and asked her to pay another Rs 40, assuring her that the amount would be refunded. She made the payment but did not receive the money back.
The fraudsters then continued asking her to transfer money, citing different reasons and assuring her that the amounts would be returned.
Assistant Police Inspector Seema Munde said that between 6 pm and 8 pm on September 29, the woman transferred a total of Rs 1,19,209 to multiple bank accounts through 13 online transactions. The fraudsters subsequently told her that she would have to pay another Rs 16,706 as GST. She then realised that she had been duped and approached the police.
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The unidentified accused have been booked under Sections 318(4), 316(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Police are tracing the mobile numbers, bank accounts and Instagram accounts used in the fraud. Police Sub-Inspector Mayur Patil is investigating the case.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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