{
  "id": 15434453,
  "title": "‘This is a task for you’: Pune techie makes 67 transactions, loses Rs 66 lakh in investment scam",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/this-is-a-task-for-you-pune-techie-makes-67-transactions-loses-rs-66",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T15:04:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-techie-loses-66-lakh-task-based-cyber-investment-scam-hadapsar-10927105/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 37-year-old IT professional from Hadapsar, Pune, fell victim to a cyber fraud scheme that involved 67 transactions totaling over Rs 66 lakh. The victim, who was initially lured into the scam through fraudulent WhatsApp and Telegram groups offering investment opportunities, was told he was completing assigned tasks and making profits. Initially, the fraudsters added him to a WhatsApp group with over 700 members and later directed him to a Telegram group with more than 4,000 members. The victim was assigned tasks such as opening links, taking screenshots, and posting them in the group. As his confidence grew, he was gradually introduced to investment opportunities and made 67 transactions, transferring funds from his and his wife's accounts through UPI, IMPS, and RTGS. The fraudsters promised small initial returns and a high return on investment, which reinforced the victim's belief that the platform was legitimate. However, when he attempted to withdraw his accumulated profits, the administrators demanded an additional Rs 9 lakh as an exchange fee. This raised suspicions, and the victim realized the profits displayed on the platform may have been fictitious. He then reported the incident to the cybercrime authorities and registered a complaint with the Pune City Cyber Police.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}