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

Cyber fraudsters posing as Election Commission officials are allegedly exploiting electoral roll corrections and voter verification procedures to cheat citizens, with several cases reported in Pune and Mumbai since August. The frauds involve calls, WhatsApp messages, suspicious links and purported verification forms, with victims losing lakhs of rupees through unauthorised banking transactions. The cases have raised questions about how fraudsters obtain voters’ personal information and whether similar complaints are connected.

In one of the latest cases, a 79-year-old Pune resident allegedly lost ₹11.92 lakh after being contacted by a person posing as an election official regarding a request to correct his partner’s name on the electoral roll. According to an FIR registered at Swargate Police Station on October 9, the complainant had submitted an online form a few days earlier to change his partner’s name in the voter list. He subsequently received WhatsApp messages and calls concerning the application.

On October 7, the complainant received a WhatsApp call from a person who told him that Form 8, rather than Form 6, was required for correction. Believing the caller, the complainant shared personal information, including Aadhaar details, his partner’s voter ID, photograph and email address. The caller then asked him to pay ₹5 as a processing fee. The complainant attempted to make the payment twice through his Punjab National Bank account, but both attempts reportedly failed.

When the complainant later checked his account balance, he noticed that money was missing. A subsequent visit to the bank revealed that two NEFT transactions of ₹4,99,011 and ₹6,93,011 had been carried out without his consent, resulting in a total loss of ₹11,92,022. He had already lodged a complaint on the national cybercrime portal on October 7.

Swargate Police registered FIR No. 349/2026 under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to cheating and cheating by personation, and Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, relating to identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources. The FIR names an unidentified accused, while the investigation has been assigned to Police Sub-Inspector Nikhita Ramdas Pawar.

What is election-related cyber fraud?

Unlike electoral fraud involving manipulation of votes or election results, these cases involve cybercriminals misusing the identity of election authorities and legitimate electoral procedures to deceive citizens into revealing personal or financial information.

Fraudsters allegedly contact individuals claiming to represent the Election Commission of India or election-related verification authorities. They may inform recipients that their voter ID contains incorrect information, that their name requires verification, or that their electoral roll application has been rejected.