Pune: In a series of cyber fraud incidents, three individuals in Pune have been duped of a total of ₹68 lakh by cybercriminals, highlighting the increasing threat of online scams.

The victims, lured with promises of high returns through stock market investments and online tasks, have filed complaints with the police, and investigations are now underway.

The first case involved a young man from Dhanori, who works in a private company. According to the police report filed at the Vishrantwadi Police Station, the victim was initially contacted by cybercriminals with offers of stock market investment opportunities.

The scammers assured him of significant profits, eventually extracting ₹26 lakh from him over multiple transactions. Initially, the criminals fabricated a false sense of security by making it appear as though the victim was earning profits. However, they stopped providing any returns, and when the victim realized he had been cheated, he approached the police for help.

In a similar case, a resident of Erandwane was conned out of ₹30.60 lakh. Cybercriminals once again used the lure of stock market investments, promising the victim high returns.

A case has been registered at the Alankar Police Station, and Crime Branch officer Surekha Chavan has been assigned to lead the investigation.

In a third incident, another individual was scammed out of ₹11.27 lakh through an "online task" job offer. The victim was initially given a small task and received a modest payment, which gained his trust. The scammers then convinced him to invest in the task for higher returns.

However, after collecting the money, they failed to provide either the returns or refund the original amount. The victim also filed a complaint with the Vishrantwadi Police Station.