A Hyderabad-based aluminium fabrication company fell victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud, losing over Rs 40 lakh after fraudsters impersonated its managing director on WhatsApp. The scammers used the managing director's display picture and name to deceive the company's finance manager into making two large transfers.
Incident Details
According to police, the 62-year-old finance manager filed a complaint stating that on April 28, he received WhatsApp messages that appeared to be from the company's managing director. The sender had the same display picture and name as the MD, leading the finance manager to believe the messages were genuine.
Following the instructions in the messages, the finance manager transferred Rs 36.8 lakh on April 28 to a bank account provided by the fraudster. The next day, he received another message from the same WhatsApp account, instructing him to transfer an additional Rs 3.28 lakh, which he also complied with.
Discovery of Fraud
The fraud came to light when the finance manager later verified the transactions with the managing director and realised that an unknown offender had duped him. The complainant also told police that an APK file titled 'Rto Traffic EChallan.apk' was found installed on the managing director's phone. Such APK files can provide remote access to the device, allowing cyber fraudsters to steal photos, contacts, and other data. The complainant alleged that the accused might have accessed the MD's photo and contacts from his phone and used those details to carry out the fraud.
Legal Action
Based on the complaint, Malkajgiri cyber crime police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the IT Act on Thursday. The investigation is ongoing.
This incident highlights the growing threat of cyber impersonation scams, where fraudsters exploit trusted identities to trick victims into transferring money. Authorities urge the public to verify any unusual financial requests through a secondary communication channel before making transfers.
