A 60-year-old woman from Chakan was cheated of Rs 5 lakh by a social media acquaintance who posed as a crime branch officer and promised her granddaughter a job in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), police said.
How the scam unfolded
The accused allegedly posed as a policeman attached to the Pune police's crime branch and took money from her between April 2 and 8. The woman lodged a complaint with the Kharadi police on Thursday.
An officer said the complainant came across the accused's profile on a social media platform in March and contacted him after noticing a similarity in their surnames. The man introduced himself as a crime branch official and claimed he had strong contacts in the state government.
"He assured her that he could help her acquaintances secure jobs in the PMC," the officer said.
The woman requested assistance for her granddaughter, who resides in Mumbai. The accused demanded Rs 5 lakh and relevant documents. On April 2, he met her near the Kharadi police station, where she handed over Rs 3 lakh. She later mortgaged her gold jewellery, took a loan of Rs 2 lakh and transferred the remaining amount.
"On April 18, the accused asked her to visit Sassoon General Hospital for a medical test but failed to appear. Suspecting foul play, she verified his identity and approached the police. Further probe is on," the officer said.
