Pune: An 84-year-old retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer in Pune has allegedly lost ₹4.5 lakh after cybercriminals posing as bank officials tricked him into submitting a fraudulent pension Life Certificate form, police said.
The incident took place between October 8 and 9, when the Kondhwa resident was contacted through a video call by individuals claiming to help retired personnel complete their annual pension documentation.
According to Senior Inspector Santosh Khetmalas, the callers assured the pensioner that he could complete the process from home. They subsequently sent him an online form through a messaging application, asking him to provide personal information, identity card details and banking credentials.
Police said the form contained a link associated with remote-access software. After downloading and submitting the form, the victim inadvertently exposed his banking information, allowing the fraudsters to transfer ₹4.5 lakh from his account.
Authorities are investigating the money trail and attempting to identify the bank accounts that received the funds. No arrests have been reported so far.
The case highlights the risks faced by pensioners, including retired defence personnel, who may be targeted through fraudulent calls related to annual Life Certificate submissions, also known as Jeevan Pramaan.
Pensioners can submit their certificates through authorised channels, including the official Jeevan Pramaan portal, jeevanpramaan.gov.in, the SPARSH system for defence pensioners, authorised bank branches and designated centres.
Authorities advise pensioners against downloading unknown applications or forms received through unsolicited messages and calls. Bank details, one-time passwords (OTPs) and device access should never be shared with unknown individuals claiming to represent financial institutions.
Victims of cyber financial fraud should report the incident immediately by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or approaching the nearest police station.
