MUMBAI: The city cyber police blocked Rs 95 lakh of a private company after fraudsters, posing as a director of the same company, asked the company’s accountant to transfer the amount to another account.
Realising the fraud, the company, which deals in renting ships, approached the police, and the entire amount was blocked. A probe found the money was transferred to a medical practitioner in another state.
Police said that the accountant of the company lodged an FIR on November 25. “One of the accountants of the company received a WhatsApp message from a new number with the company’s director’s photo as the DP. The message sender posed as the company’s director and said it was his other number. He told the accountant that he was in a meeting with govt officials. The message sender inquired how much money they had in the company’s account,” said a police source.
Considering the call genuine, the accountant sent a photo of the company’s balance amount in its account to the ‘director’. “The accused told the accountant that they were signing a deal for a project and needed to pay an advance payment of Rs 95 lakh. He gave an account number and instructed the accountant to transfer the money. The accountant followed the instructions,” said police.
After transferring the money, the accountant called the company’s director to inform him that he transferred the money. The director told him that he never messaged him nor asked to transfer any money. This is when they realised they were duped and called the 1930 cyber helpline number. Acting on the complaint, the fraudsters’ account was blocked, and the money was frozen in it. It will be returned to the complainant’s firm after a legal process, said police.
During the probe, police found that money was transferred to a doctor’s account in UP. Investigators have asked him to join the investigation. The probe is being carried out under the supervision of DCP Datta Nalawade and comprises a team of Senior Inspector Nandkumar Gopale, Inspector Kiran Jadhav, Assistant Inspector Rupali Chaudhari, and Sub-Inspector Shweta Kadhane of the south region cyber police station, located at Grant Road.
