Trip Scam

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Pune, India

Common scams in Pune

10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Pune, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.

Last updated 2026-08-09

Aga Khan Palace, Pune
Photo: ramnath bhat · CC BY 2.0 · source

Pictured: Aga Khan Palace, Pune.

high1. Fake job / work offer

Advance-fee employment and internship offers aimed at foreign students, requesting payment for placement or visa processing that never occurs.

medium2. Fake police officer

Individuals in plain clothes claiming to be officers and demanding an on-the-spot fine for a fabricated infraction.

medium3. Dating app invite scam

Dating-app contacts steering matches to particular bars where an inflated bill is presented and pressure is applied to pay.

medium4. Other

Unofficial 'student housing agents' charging finder's fees for listings that are publicly available or already occupied.

medium5. Distraction theft

Phone snatching from pedestrians and two-wheeler pillion passengers on busy commercial roads after dark.

medium6. Rental overbooking

Long-stay apartment listings taking a deposit for a property that is unavailable, already let, or does not exist.

medium7. Taxi meter fraud

Auto-rickshaw drivers declining the meter for non-locals and quoting inflated flat rates, especially at the railway station.

low8. Other

Overpriced 'tourist packages' to nearby hill stations sold from unlicensed street desks with no operator details.

low9. Currency shortchange

Shortchanging at small shops on high-denomination notes when change is claimed to be short.

low10. Counterfeit goods

Counterfeit electronics accessories and branded apparel in the street markets, sold without receipts or warranty.

Every entry above describes a pattern reported in an area of Pune, not an accusation against a specific business. Sources are labelled on each entry.

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