Pune ECI impersonation fraud: 2 elderly men lose ₹13 lakh in back-to-back scams
Synopsis
Two elderly Pune men — aged 78 and 80 — lost a combined ₹13 lakh in back-to-back ECI impersonation scams on the same day. The fraudsters used phishing links and malicious APK files to remotely access mobile phones and drain bank accounts. With no arrests yet, the cases point to a coordinated targeting of senior citizens under the guise of voter card updates.
Key Takeaways
Two elderly Pune residents were defrauded of a combined ₹13 lakh by individuals impersonating Election Commission of India (ECI) officials on 11 October 2026 .
Jitendra Kumar Ahuja , 78 , of Ghorpadi , lost ₹8,00,015.34 via a phishing link; case registered at Mundhwa Police Station .
Kanjasheri Vaidyanathan Venkatesan , 80 , of Yerwada , lost ₹5 lakh after downloading a malicious APK file; case registered at Lakshminagar Police Station .
Both fraudsters gained remote mobile access to harvest banking passwords and transfer funds.
Accused in both cases remain unidentified; investigations are ongoing.
Two elderly Pune residents have been defrauded of a combined ₹13 lakh by individuals posing as officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI), with both cases coming to light on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The incidents, separated by just hours, mark a sharp escalation in ECI impersonation fraud targeting senior citizens in the city.
First Case: ₹8 Lakh Lost via Phishing Link
Jitendra Kumar Ahuja, a 78-year-old resident of Ghorpadi, Pune, was defrauded of ₹8,00,015.34 between 1 and 3 October, according to police. The accused contacted Ahuja claiming to be an ECI official, told him his documents did not match official records, and sent him a link instructing him to update his details. Police allege that through this link, the accused gained remote access to Ahuja's mobile phone and siphoned the amount from his accounts.
A case was registered at Mundhwa Police Station on 10 October under Sections 319(2), 318(4), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
Second Case: ₹5 Lakh Stolen via Malicious APK File
Kanjasheri Vaidyanathan Venkatesan, an 80-year-old retired employee of an automotive manufacturing company residing in Yerwada, Pune, lost ₹5 lakh in a separate but near-identical scheme. The accused called him claiming to be from the ECI's office, stating his voter card required an update, and instructed him to download an APK file. Once downloaded, the accused gained access to the victim's mobile screen, compromised his banking passwords, and fraudulently transferred the funds.
A case has been registered at Lakshminagar Police Station under Sections 308, 318(4), and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 66(D) and 66(C) of the IT Act.
How the Fraud Works
Both attacks followed a recognisable playbook: impersonate a government authority, manufacture urgency around official documentation, and exploit the victim's trust to deploy either a phishing link or a malicious APK file. Once access to the mobile device was secured, banking credentials were harvested remotely. Notably, both victims are senior citizens aged above 78, suggesting the perpetrators may be deliberately targeting older, less digitally-aware individuals.
This method — sometimes called 'remote access fraud' — has been flagged repeatedly by cybercrime authorities across India. According to reports, ECI impersonation spikes particularly around election periods when voter ID and voter card updates carry heightened public relevance.
Investigation Status
The identities and addresses of the accused in both cases have not yet been ascertained, officials said. Investigations are currently underway at the respective police stations, and further details are awaited. No arrests have been reported so far.
With two cases in a single day, Pune's cybercrime units are expected to step up alerts and coordination to identify a possible common perpetrator or network behind the fraud.
Point of View
Recurring administrative requirement, giving the ruse an air of official plausibility. The targeting of citizens above 78 is a calculated choice: older Indians are statistically less familiar with remote-access malware and APK file risks. Pune police must now determine whether both cases share a common digital footprint — IP addresses, phone numbers, or APK signatures — before the pattern spreads further.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Pune ECI impersonation fraud cases?
Two elderly Pune residents — aged 78 and 80 — lost a combined ₹13 lakh to fraudsters posing as Election Commission of India officials on 11 October 2026. The accused used phishing links and malicious APK files to gain remote access to the victims' phones and drain their bank accounts.
Who are the victims in the Pune ECI fraud?
The victims are Jitendra Kumar Ahuja, a 78-year-old resident of Ghorpadi, who lost ₹8,00,015.34, and Kanjasheri Vaidyanathan Venkatesan, an 80-year-old retired automotive company employee from Yerwada, who lost ₹5 lakh.
How did the fraudsters carry out the scam?
In the first case, the accused sent a phishing link under the pretext of document verification, gaining remote mobile access. In the second case, the victim was asked to download an APK file, after which the fraudster accessed his screen, stole banking passwords, and transferred ₹5 lakh.
Have the accused been arrested?
No arrests have been made in either case as of 11 October 2026. The identities and addresses of the accused remain unascertained, and investigations are ongoing at Mundhwa and Lakshminagar Police Stations.
How can citizens protect themselves from ECI impersonation scams?
The Election Commission of India does not request document verification or voter card updates via unsolicited phone calls, links, or APK downloads. Citizens should never click unknown links or install unverified apps sent by callers claiming to be government officials, and should report suspicious calls to cybercrime helpline 1930.
