Pune: A 67-year-old resident of Dehugaon lost his entire retirement fund of Rs 17.86 lakh to cybercrooks, who assured him good returns on his share trading investments.The elderly man transferred the amount between March and April 8 this year to different bank account numbers provided to him. After realising that he was being duped, the senior citizen filed an online complaint application. After preliminary investigations, a case was registered with the Dehu Road police on Saturday.An officer from the Dehu Road police told TOI that the complainant worked with a private company in Chakan MIDC. “After his retirement, he wanted to invest his savings in the stock market and earn more money,” the officer said.Last month, the victim received a call from a woman who asked if he was interested in investing in the stock market, and he agreed right away. “The man was added to a group of investors on a mobile messaging app. He was also told to download an app to make investments and monitor profits,” the officer said.A few days later, another woman called the victim and shared her trading experience and profits earned through the app. She gained the man’s confidence and lured him to invest.“The senior citizen then transferred Rs 17.86 lakh to the different bank accounts till April 8,” he said.When the elderly man tried to withdraw his money, the crooks told him to transfer more money. “The complainant realised that he was being duped and stopped responding,” the officer added.
