Contractor duped of ₹11 lakh after responding to fake ‘pregnancy’ ad online

Pune (The Uttam Hindu): A contractor in Maharashtra's Pune district fell victim to cyber fraud. Scammers lured him through an online advertisement that read, "Looking for a man who can get me pregnant." Seeing the advertisement, the contractor contacted the person and was duped online of ₹1.1 million.

According to reports, the accused, posing as a woman, sent videos and then began defrauding the victim in the name of registration, membership, privacy, and processing charges. Gradually, the victim was tricked into transferring a total of ₹1.1 million to various accounts.

Police Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant said the case is linked to a larger cyber network known as the "pregnancy job" or "playboy service" racket. The gang makes offers to people through social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram, claiming they can earn between 5 and 25 lakh rupees by impregnating infertile women. Victims are asked for their Aadhaar, PAN, and selfies, and then lakhs of rupees are extorted under pretexts like security fees, taxes, and hotel bookings.

Investigation revealed that the main base of this racket is in Nawada district, Bihar, from where this fraudulent network operates across the country. Police believe that this gang has defrauded millions of rupees so far.