PMC clerk loses ₹26L in online forex trading fraud

Pune: A Shivajinagar-based man, employed as a clerk with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has lodged a complaint with the Chatushrungi police stating that cybercrooks cheated him of Rs 26.2 lakh in a foreign exchange (forex) trading scam between April 22 and May 17.

The clerk registered a complaint application with the Pune cyber police. After verification of the application, a formal FIR was registered with the Chatushrungi police station on Tuesday evening.

Senior inspector Uttam Bhajnawale of the Chatushrungi police said, “The complainant was at his home when he received a call from a fraudster. The fraudster posed as a woman and told him about the profit generated by trading different currencies online.”

The fraudster then asked him to download a cellphone application and upload details such as his PAN card, Aadhaar card, email, and a selfie to register on the app.

“The fraudster then created a user ID on the application for the clerk,” he said.

Bhajnawale said, “The clerk created a password and started trading in forex. The application showed a profit of Rs 10,556. The suspect or suspects transferred this amount to the clerk’s bank account and won his trust.”

“The clerk stated that the fraudsters then asked him to invest more in the forex trading and shared three bank accounts with him. The clerk transferred Rs 26.17 lakh to these bank accounts,” he said.

“The app showed a good profit on this investment. He decided to withdraw the profit, but the suspects did not allow him,” Bhajnawale said.