Pune Crime Files | From aspiring dancer to cyber fugitive: how a con woman who fled from a train was caught on a Bihar farm

What is whale phishing?

Gudiya’s arrest in February 2024 was for a key role in the biggest whale phishing scam reported in Pune city, which had taken place the previous month. Unlike typical phishing scams that target a broader set of possible victims, whale phishing or spear phishing attacks or ‘CEO scams’ are highly focused on specific individuals, often top officials of the company who handle finances.

It is a highly targeted form of cyber attack in which a fraudster impersonates a high-ranking person, like a CEO, to trick senior executives into sharing sensitive data or approving large payments. This type of fraud became prevalent in the United States during the late 2010s. The police in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Pune Rural have seen over a dozen whale phishing cases being reported over the last two years.

The fraud against Pune firm

Posing as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of a city-based prominent realty firm, cyber criminals tricked the company’s senior accounts officer into making 18 large transactions to various bank accounts, officers said. The firm’s Deputy General Manager (Accounts) subsequently registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Cyber Crime police station. The company is known for major commercial and residential development projects in Pune.

Soon after launching the probe, the investigators zeroed in on Gudiya who was allegedly the handler of a mule account used in the scam. While being brought to Pune on a train after her arrest, Gudiya had escaped from the Duronto Express in Rajasthan’s Kota on February 18 last year. A coordinated search was launched to trace her with the help of the Rajasthan Police but there was no immediate success.

A Cyber Crime team led by Inspector Swapnali Shinde continued to work meticulously on leads and kept developing ground-level intelligence in areas where she was previously known to have stayed.

The first breakthrough came in December last year when the police came to know of her possible hideout in South Delhi’s Jamia Nagar neighbourhood. As the team rushed there, it became clear that she had moved. However, the police managed to get more leads, which they cross-referenced with intelligence gathered from a source in Bihar’s Siwan. A team was rushed to Gopalganj in Bihar, where the officers finally managed to locate her. The probe revealed that Gudiya had been constantly changing her contact numbers, identity, and location, anticipating the police to be on her trail.

Cops in disguise

As the police team arrived in Gopalganj, they used disguises before proceeding to Lohar Patti village to blend with the local population. The team kept a watch on the suspect’s movements and was able to establish that it was Gudiya. They stayed at a farm nearby for a day and waited for the right moment to make a move on the night of December 15.

When the officers finally went to arrest her, Gudiya made one final attempt to escape by scaling the house’s roof and jumping off. As she ran towards a farm, the police team chased and arrested her. She was brought to Pune on transit remand and subsequently, a court sent her to police custody. The trial is pending in the case.

The probe revealed that Gudiya hails from a financially weak family in the Gopalganj area. She started working for the racket possibly after coming in contact with some men linked to it in the area, officers said. The investigation suggests that at the time of her first arrest, Gudiya was primarily tasked with getting mule accounts and managing them.

The police said Gudiya was good at her studies before she dropped out. She is also a good dancer but was unable to pursue her passion, an officer stated.