Pune resident loses Rs 1.5 lakh to cyber fraudsters who used his sister’s WhatsApp display picture
Online fraudsters duped a Pune resident of Rs 1.5 lakh by sending him a fraudulent message from a number with his sister’s WhatsApp profile picture and claiming that she was in trouble and needed financial help.
The victim lodged a first information report (FIR) in this regard at the Deccan police station on Thursday. Police said that on April 28, the complainant received a message from a mobile number that displayed a profile picture similar to that used on his sister’s WhatsApp account.
Believing that he had received the messages from his sister, the complainant – between April 28 and May 1 – transferred Rs 1.5 lakh through Google Pay to an account that the messages mentioned, officers added.
He later came to know that the messages were sent by fraudsters, and approached the police. Officers have booked the unidentified accused under sections 419, 420 of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
