Pune: Senior citizen seeking tenant, cheated by fraudster posing as Army officer

A First Information Report (FIR) in the case was registered at the Hinjewadi police station on Tuesday by the senior citizen.

Officials said that the complainant had posted the ad listing his property for the rent of Rs 14,000 and a deposit of Rs 40,000. The communication and digital transaction between the complainant and the suspect took place between May 7 and May 9.

On May 7, he was contacted by a person who identified himself as ‘Army Officer Zora Singh’ and also sent images of what he claimed were his identity documents. He showed interest in renting the property. The fraudster asked the senior citizen to make two digital transactions on the pretext of checking whether their online payment platforms were working.

The fraudster first asked the man to make two transfers of Rs 40,000 and said he would immediately pay back the amount and further pay the same amount which was the pre-decided deposit money. Police officials said that the complainant trusted the suspect possibly because of the Army credentials he furnished. After the complainant transferred Rs 40,000, the suspect became incommunicado. It was at this point that the complainant realised that he had been cheated.

He approached the Pimpri Chinchwad police and a First Information Report (FIR) was immediately registered under the Information Technology Act as well as Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to cheating.

Police officials said that there have been multiple incidents across the country recently in which the cyber fraudsters posing as Army officer Zora Singh or Jora Singh have cheated people through various online marketplace or property classifieds platforms.