In a swift investigation, the Cyber Police have arrested two individuals, including a 49-year-old housewife, in connection with a Rs75 lakh cyber fraud that targeted a fruit export company in Turbhe. The arrests were made within 17 days of the complaint, while efforts are ongoing to trace the rest of the fraud network.
The fraud occurred in May 2025, when cyber criminals impersonated the company’s director on WhatsApp by using his photo as a display picture. The accountant, misled by the visual cue and the urgent tone, transferred Rs75 lakh to a bank account given in the message, believing it was a legitimate request for a business project.
The fraud was discovered when the real director contacted the accountant and denied making any such request. The company quickly filed a complaint with the Cyber Police within two hours—but by then, the funds had already been dispersed to multiple accounts across India.
Police Inspector Gajanan Kadam of the Cyber Security Police Station said the money trail led them to Malvani, Mumbai, where Rs5 lakh was withdrawn via cheque. This led to the arrest of Bilkis Naseem Momin alias Biko (49), whose account was used. She revealed that her relative Shahbaz Arif Ansari (30) had offered her money to use her bank account. He was later arrested too.
Police confirmed that Bilkis was aware of the fraudulent activity and had knowingly provided her account for the scam. The search continues for the person who originally contacted Ansari through WhatsApp to initiate the fraud.
Both accused have been remanded to five days of police custody. Authorities have urged companies to verify financial requests using multiple channels, especially when they involve large sums, to avoid falling victim to such impersonation scams.
