How a Rs 1,700 dress order costs a Pune woman Rs 6.8 lakh: The 'wrong decimal' trick used by cyber fraudsters

3 minutes of readingPuneFebruary 6, 2026 02:00 pm IST

A Pune woman lost around Rs 6.82 lakh to cyber fraudsters after placing a cash on delivery order for a dress on a shopping portal.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the 45-year-old woman residing near Parihar Chowk in Aundh, she selected a dress from the ‘Biba.in’ website on December 24, 2025 and placed her order.

The next day, a person posing as a Biba employee called her, claiming that her order was linked to an address in Nashik, where delivery service was not available. The caller then provided her with a QR code, instructing her to make an online payment for the dress, assuring her that it would be delivered by another delivery partner, the FIR stated.

The victim proceeded to make an online payment of Rs 1,700.05. However, minutes later, the same person called again stating that they had made an incorrect payment. They told him that the correct amount was “Rs 1,700.50” and that they would refund the money he had sent earlier.

“The victim then transferred Rs 1,700.50 through a UPI transaction. Once again, she received another call alleging that the payment had not been received and that she needed to pay once again for the delivery of her dress. This time, too, the caller assured her that the previous payment would be refunded to her,” the FIR registered at Chatushrungi police station on February 3 said.

According to the FIR, the victim ended up transferring a total of Rs 6,82,024.05 through 10 online transactions on December 25 and 26, following the instructions of “employee of Biba company”. This included five transactions of more than Rs 90,000 each, but her dress was never delivered. The money was transferred to different bank accounts.

On December 27, the same “Biba company employee” contacted her again, demanding an additional Rs 2 lakh and stating that her previous payments would be refunded. At that point, the victim became suspicious and consulted her husband, who informed her that she had been scammed.

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The woman filed a complaint at the Cyber Police Station Pune Municipal Police on December 28.

Following a verification of the complaint, the police on February 3 registered a case against unidentified fraudsters under sections 318 (4), 319 (2) and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Information Technology (IT) Act.

The police recorded the woman’s statement and an investigation was launched. Authorities are currently investigating the mobile phone numbers and bank accounts used by the online scammers involved in scamming her.

Chandan Haygunde is assistant editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With more than 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region’s most authoritative voices on crime, national security and legal issues. Professional Profile Specialization: Specializes in covering topics related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left-wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics trafficking, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He helms the widely read weekly series ‘Pune Crime Files’. He is widely recognized for his in-depth coverage of cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: Your portfolio includes coverage of crimes primarily under the jurisdiction of Pune city, Pune rural police and Pimpri Chinchwad, along with sensitive cases of the state, which are being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Prior to his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique basic understanding of the socio-political landscape of Maharashtra. Awards and Recognitions: Earned the CMS PANOS Young Environmental Journalist award in January 2014 for investigative reporting on illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. He received the Outstanding Investigative Journalism Award by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth, a ‘Maoist commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on investigations into high-profile terrorism cases, trafficking interstate firearms and leopard movements in Pune. city, cyber scams and Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry hearings. 1. High-profile crimes and cases of terrorism “The technician linked to Al-Qaeda preached that democracy goes against Shariat” (November 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “Case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and organizer of Elgaar Parishad, granted interim bail by high court” (November 20, 2025) Track updates in the high-profile Elgaar Parishad case related to alleged Naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (November 24, 2025) After arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consultant anesthetist of a Pune hospital. “A year after the locomotive pilot avoided tragedy by detecting a gas cylinder on the train tracks, the investigation is still inconclusive” (December 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of an alleged sabotage incident that could have derailed a train. “No records available of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation: Author, former IAS officer Vishwas Patil, tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (December 1, 2025) Report on a sensitive issue related to violence in Koregaon Bhima. 2. Inter-state gun rampage “Pune police raid ‘gun village’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 arrested, 50 ovens destroyed” (Nov 22, 2025) “Recognition a week early, micro-planning: How Pune police raided ‘gun village’ in MP” (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti Village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime and Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad Police arrest ‘bank account provider’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams” (November 27, 2025) 2025) Report on tricks used by cyber fraudsters who dupe people through digital arrest scams Signature style: Investigative hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate sources Deep undercovers within the police and intelligence agencies. His writings often go beyond the “police version” of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic failures. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent monitoring of urban link Maoist cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers (Twitter): @chandan_pune …Read more

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