What is the electoral roll cyber scam in which a 79-year-old Pune man lost ₹11.92 lakh?

Cyber fraudsters in Maharashtra have been exploiting electoral roll corrections and voter verification procedures to cheat citizens. Criminals pose as Election Commission officials, contacting individuals who have recently applied for voter list modifications and tricking them into revealing personal and financial details. Several similar incidents have been reported in cities like Pune and Mumbai, involving fake verification forms, suspicious links, and calls demanding nominal processing fees.

In a prominent case registered at the Swargate Police Station in Pune, a 79-year-old resident sought to change his partner's name on the electoral roll. Shortly after submitting an online form, he received calls and WhatsApp messages from an individual claiming to be an election official. The caller stated that Form 8 was required instead of Form 6 and obtained sensitive documents, including Aadhaar details, a voter ID, a photograph, and an email address.

The fraudster then asked the victim to pay a nominal processing fee of five rupees. After two unsuccessful payment attempts through his bank account, the victim discovered that large sums of money had been drained from his account. A bank visit revealed that two unauthorized NEFT transactions had taken place without his consent, resulting in a total loss of over eleven lakh rupees. He had previously lodged a complaint on the national cybercrime portal.

Local authorities registered an FIR against an unidentified accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Investigators are examining whether the victim's initial application was made on an official or fraudulent portal and how banking credentials were compromised. While multiple electoral roll scams have surfaced across Pune and Mumbai, investigators have not yet confirmed if they are linked to a single organised network.

Not yet reported: The reports do not clarify whether the victim's initial online application was submitted through an official portal or a fraudulent website, nor do they specify how the unauthorized NEFT transfers were authenticated.