Archive · 12 Sep 2025
Cybercriminals Impersonate IIT Professor, Dupe Pune University of ₹2.46 Crores
A private university in Pune was tricked out of a lot of money by criminals pretending to be an IIT professor.
These criminals said they could get funding for research projects and convinced the university to pay them.
They promised money for AI projects and more.
They even set up a meeting that never happened, which made the university realize it was a scam.
The university contacted the real professor, who confirmed he wasn't involved, and then reported the crime to the police.
Cybercriminals, posing as an IIT-Bombay professor, defrauded a Pune university.
The fraud involved promises of securing funding for research projects, including those with DRDO.
The university transferred a total of ₹2.46 crore to the fraudsters between July 25th and August 26th.
The criminals used fraudulent emails and impersonated a former university vice-chancellor.
An FIR has been filed by the university with the Cyber Police, who are investigating the case.
- Who
- Cybercriminals impersonating an IIT-Bombay professor
- What
- Duped a private university out of ₹2.46 crore by promising research project funding.
- When
- Between July 25th and August 26th
- Where
- Pune
- Why
- To obtain money through fraudulent research project schemes.
- Victim
- Private University in Pune
- Amount Stolen
- ₹2.46 crore
- Modus Operandi
- Impersonation of an IIT-Bombay professor to promise funding for research projects
- Date of Crime
- Between July 25th and August 26th
- Projects
- DST and DRDO, AI, and Machine Learning