Snapchat Friendship Turns Into Crypto Scam, Pune Cyber Police Unmask Man Posing As Woman

Pune: A man named Kunal Jitendra Admane allegedly posed as a woman on Snapchat, befriended an individual and duped him of roughly Rs1.5 lakh through a cryptocurrency investment scheme. The Pune cyber police apprehended the suspect once his fraudulent identity was revealed. Admane, a 25-year-old resident of the Parvati area, had been conversing with the victim for six to seven months via Snapchat and phone calls.

The victim accepted a friend request from an account using the name Prinsika Joshi and developed a friendship with the individual after accepting the request. The person behind the account allegedly told the victim that investing in cryptocurrency would lead to significant profits. Believing the claims, the victim transferred 1,468 USDT, equivalent to around Rs1.5 lakh, from his cryptocurrency wallet to the purported wallet of Prinsika Joshi.

However, when the victim later inquired about the returns on his investment and demanded the return of his money, the person allegedly ceased all communication. The Snapchat and Instagram accounts were subsequently taken down, after which the victim realized he had been scammed. The cyber police traced the accounts to Admane after examining the Snapchat ID and mobile number used to contact the victim.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the person posing as Prinsika Joshi was, in fact, Admane himself. Police reported that he fabricated a false female identity on social media and even spoke to the victim in a female voice to maintain the deception. Admane, who is highly educated with a hotel management degree, was subsequently arrested.

The cyber police are currently investigating whether Admane created other fake identities on social media and if he has allegedly defrauded other individuals using the same method.