TL;DR: Punekar News reported on May 23, 2026 that a 53-year-old unmarried businessman from Kondhwa, Pune, who owns an auto-parts unit in Bhosari, lost ₹7,07,61,000 after a woman he met on a dating app in October 2025 persuaded him to invest in forex trading on a mobile app. He could not withdraw. A case was registered against unidentified accused.
What happened
Punekar News reports that a 53-year-old unmarried businessman living in Kondhwa, Pune, who owns a vehicle spare-parts manufacturing unit in Bhosari, met a woman on a dating app in October 2025. As their chats grew, she allegedly persuaded him to invest in foreign exchange trading with promises of high returns.
How the money moved
- She told him to open a trading account on a mobile application, and he did.
- He was told to transfer money into multiple bank accounts for investment.
- The app showed profits and returns.
- When he tried to withdraw, he could not access the funds.
The total he transferred was ₹7,07,61,000. The dating app, the trading app and the banks are not named in the report. The article says the transfers happened over about a year and a half, which does not match the October 2025 start, so the exact timeline is unclear.
Police status
He filed a complaint at the Cyber Police Station, Shivajinagar. A case was registered against unidentified accused under the Information Technology Act. Police Inspector Sangeeta Devkate is the investigating officer. No arrests are reported.
What it shows
Targets of this scam are often not naive. A successful business owner can lose crores because the relationship and the screen full of profits both feel real. Our explainer on pig butchering in India and our crypto scam statistics show how big these losses can get.
Red flags
- A dating match who steers the chat to trading, forex or crypto.
- An app downloaded from a link, not from your bank or an official regulated broker.
- Transfers to many different personal accounts.
- Profits on screen that you cannot withdraw.
Report quickly: see how to file a 1930 complaint, reporting a fake trading app to SEBI and investment app scam recovery. Run our free digital footprint check to see how visible your phone number and email are.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much was lost?
₹7,07,61,000, or more than ₹7.07 crore, according to Punekar News.
Who was the victim?
A 53-year-old unmarried businessman from Kondhwa, Pune, who owns an auto-parts unit in Bhosari.
Has anyone been arrested?
No. The case is registered against unidentified accused at the Shivajinagar Cyber Police Station.
How can I check a trading platform?
Use official regulated brokers only and verify on SEBI. A platform sent by a dating match is a red flag.
Sources
- Punekar News: Dating app friendship costs Pune businessman over Rs 7 crore in cyber scam (May 23, 2026)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in)