A private university in Pune has fallen victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud, losing ₹2.46 crore to a conman posing as an IIT Mumbai professor and government-linked researcher. The scam targeted the university’s top management with promises of lucrative research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The scheme unfolded between July 25 and August 7. Police reports reveal it began when the university’s chief education officer (CEO) received a message allegedly from a former vice-chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). The message introduced the impersonator, who claimed he could facilitate access to a ₹28-crore DST-DRDO project.

The conman instructed the CEO to transfer 2% of the project cost — ₹56 lakh — within three hours to secure eligibility. After internal discussions, the payment was made on July 25.

Days later, the scammer persuaded officials to fund an AI technology project worth Rs 28 crore, leading to another ₹46 lakh being transferred on July 30. On August 7, the university was convinced to invest ₹1.44 crore in a purported ₹72-crore machine learning project.

The fraud unraveled when the impersonator failed to appear for a promised MoU signing on August 28. Upon contacting the real IIT professor, university officials learned the professor had no involvement. The university promptly lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police, who confirmed the financial transactions and launched a full-scale investigation.

A university spokesperson said the fraudster was "highly convincing with technical know-how," adding that no one suspected fraudulent intent during the interactions. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) confirmed that investigations are ongoing to track the perpetrator.