Pune: The Kothrud police are searching for a motorcycle-borne man who allegedly snatched a mobile phone from a 24-year-old hotel receptionist near Paud Phata and later siphoned off Rs 67,000 from his bank account using the stolen device. The accused also duped the victim’s friends by sending messages seeking financial help, taking the total loss to nearly Rs 1 lakh.Police said the incident occurred late on Sunday night, while the financial fraud came to light on Monday. A case of mobile snatching and theft has been registered against the unidentified motorcycle rider.Assistant inspector Sudhir Ghule of the Kothrud police said the receptionist, a resident of Kothrud, was returning home on his scooter when he stopped near the Paud Phata flyover to answer a phone call.“At that moment, a motorcycle rider heading towards Kothrud snatched his mobile phone and fled,” Ghule said.The victim approached the police on Tuesday after obtaining his bank statement, which revealed that Rs 67,000 had been withdrawn from his savings account through e-banking transactions.The accused also allegedly used the stolen phone to send messages to the receptionist’s friends, claiming he needed money for a medical emergency. One friend transferred Rs 10,000 and another Rs 15,000.“We are investigating how the accused gained access to the victim’s banking and UPI applications,” Ghule said.
