Pune SIR Scam: Retired Employee Loses ₹4.43 Lakh

Pune | August 10, 2026: A routine attempt to correct details in an SIR application allegedly turned into a costly cyber scam for a retired automobile company employee from Karvenagar, who lost ₹4.43 lakh from his bank account.

The incident came to light after the victim approached Alankar Police Station, following an unexpected withdrawal from his account. Police are now tracking the digital trail left behind by the suspected cybercriminals.

The fraudsters reportedly began by using information related to the victim’s recently submitted SIR application. He received a message stating that his application could not be processed because his father’s name contained a spelling error.

Since the victim had actually filed an application shortly before receiving the message, he did not immediately suspect foul play.

The scam then moved to a phone call. After noticing a missed call from an unknown number, the victim contacted the caller the following day. The person allegedly introduced himself as someone who could help resolve the application issue.

The victim was subsequently directed to an online link, which was presented as a form for making the required correction. While following the instructions, he was allegedly persuaded to install software that provided remote access to his mobile phone.

The fraudsters later asked him to complete a ₹5 transaction, describing it as a verification step. What appeared to be a minor payment allegedly gave the suspects an opportunity to gain access to sensitive information on the device.

Investigators suspect that the criminals may have obtained access to the victim’s online banking credentials after taking control of his phone. A total of ₹4.43 lakh was subsequently transferred from his account without his authorisation.

The victim discovered the transactions and reported the matter to the police. Officers have begun examining the phone numbers used to contact him, the suspicious link, the remote-access application, bank transactions and other electronic evidence that could help identify the accused.

Cybercriminals using real-life applications to build trust

Police say the incident reflects a wider pattern in cyber fraud, where criminals use details of genuine applications, government procedures or pending services to make their messages appear authentic.

Authorities have once again warned citizens not to trust unexpected messages simply because they contain personal or application-related information. People should independently verify such communications and never install remote-access applications or share banking credentials, OTPs, PINs or passwords at the request of an unknown caller.

The investigation into the Karvenagar cyber fraud is underway.