Central govt research facility in Pune targeted in whale phishing attempt, probe on

Police said emails sent to some of the scientists read, “I would like you to make an RTGS Payment of Rs 6,55,000. How soon can it be processed if the bank account details are provided to you. I’m in a meeting, could you please email me back so that I can share the bank account beneficiary details here.” The mails to some others read, “Are you available? Kindly drop me your WhatsApp number. For quite urgent matters.” When the scientists checked the email address, it soon became clear that while the display name was that of the Director General, the email address was fraudulent.

The complainant has said in the FIR that the establishment conducts sensitive research in electronics materials including those for defence applications. “It is a matter of concern that the identity of the senior official of the facility is being used to send email to get money or possibly information from those working here,” the FIR added. Senior Inspector Uttam Bhajnawale, in-charge of Chatushrungi police station said, “After the initial inquiry by Cyber Crime police station, an FIR was registered at our police station. We have launched a probe into this Cyber fraud attempt.”

Whale phishing attacks, also known as ‘spear phishing attacks’ or ‘CEO scams’, are highly focused on specific individuals in companies. These scams specifically target top officials of the companies who handle finances. The term “whale phishing” emphasises the targeting of key figures in the companies. Since 2202, the Pune City and Pimpri Chinchwad police have together registered close to a dozen cases of whale-phishing attacks. In one case, Pune-headquartered global vaccine major Serum Institute of India was swindled of Rs one crore in 2022. In another case in January last year, a real estate company in Pune lost Rs four crore in a whale phishing attack.

In February last year a young woman identified as Saniya Mustakim Siddique (21) was arrested from Faridabad in Haryana by Pune City police’s cyber investigators in the Rs four crore fraud. When she was being brought to Pune on Duronto Express, she escaped from the train at Kota stain in Rajasthan on February 18. After a months-long search for her, she was finally arrested in December last year.