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Company duped of Rs 1.96 crore by WhatsApp impersonator: Chandigarh Police
A police officer said the case is a clear instance of cyber fraud through impersonation on messaging platforms.
The FIR, registered by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch in Chandigarh, pertains to alleged offences committed from 2021 onwards at the Chandigarh International Airport in Mohali. (File Photo)
A Chandigarh-based company was allegedly duped of Rs 1.96 crore involving WhatsApp impersonation by cyber fraudsters, police said on Saturday.
According to police, an FIR has been registered under sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on the complaint of Sanjeev Agarwal (53), a resident of Shivalik Enclave in Mani Majra.
Agarwal stated that posing as its managing director on WhatsApp, an unidentified person cheated his company.
According to the complaint, the incident took place on April 15, when the company’s accounts officer received a WhatsApp message from a number displaying the name and photograph of Managing Director Ranjan Jain, and instructed her to urgently transfer funds to a specified bank account for official purposes.
The complainant stated that, believing the request to be genuine, the employee transferred Rs 1.96 crore through NEFT to an account in the name of a private firm at a bank branch in Noida. The transfer was made shortly after the message was received, without independent verification, Agarwal stated.
The fraud came to light later when the complainant verified the transaction and discovered that the WhatsApp number used did not belong to the managing director, despite displaying his profile details, police said.
Police said the impersonator used a different mobile number while cloning the identity of the company head.
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Following the discovery, the company immediately contacted its bank and alerted officials of the recipient bank, requesting them to freeze the beneficiary account, Agarwal stated.
“An official email was also sent seeking urgent intervention. However, by then, the funds had already been transferred to multiple accounts, making recovery difficult,” Agarwal stated.
A police officer said the case is a clear instance of cyber fraud through impersonation on messaging platforms.
“Efforts are underway to trace the accused and track the flow of funds. Further investigation in the case is in progress, the officer added.
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