
On Wednesday, Pune residents lost Rs 98.37 lakh in four separate online frauds. A 43-year-old man was cheated of Rs 47.35 lakh through a fake investment platform. Another resident lost Rs 27…
On Wednesday, Pune residents lost Rs 98.37 lakh in four separate online frauds. A 43-year-old man was cheated of Rs 47.35 lakh through a fake investment platform. Another resident lost Rs 27 lakh in a similar scam. A 33-year-old woman was duped of Rs 3.08 lakh in a work-from-home scheme. One case involved Rs 20.94 lakh laundered through bank accounts. Accused have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act.

In a related case, Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against Avinash Kharat and Vikas Bhujbal for operating 22 mule bank accounts used in 42 cyber scams across India, defrauding Rs 7.42 crore. The racket was uncovered while probing a task fraud complaint. One accused has been arrested.

The police blame gullible victims, but the real story is the ease with which mule accounts are opened. Banks are supposed to verify account holders. Were 22 accounts opened in Pune without anyone noticing? Until regulators enforce strict KYC and freeze accounts at the first hint of a fraud pattern, every new 'task' or 'investment' offer will find fresh victims. Watch how many of these 42 cases lead to convictions.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.