A woman employee was defrauded of Rs 5.1 crore after scammers impersonated her company’s Managing Director (MD) via a fake WhatsApp profile. The accused convinced her that urgent funds were needed for a government project, leading her to transfer the large sum into accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
The victim first received a message from an unknown number using the MD’s profile picture, posing as a new contact. The impersonator claimed to be attending a government meeting and requested immediate funds for a critical business project. Trusting the message’s authenticity, the victim transferred Rs 5.1 crore from the company’s account to the accounts provided. Only after the transaction did she verify and realize she had been deceived.
Under the leadership of Senior Superintendent of Police Nara Chaitanya and Superintendent S. Bascarane, Inspector B.C. Kirtty registered the case and launched a multi-state probe. Investigations revealed Rs 1.8 crore was moved to an Axis Bank account in Kerala, operated by Sajith, who was promptly arrested.
Further arrests include Omkar Nath from Karnataka, Raghavendra from Telangana, and Sashidhar Nayak and Bavajan from Andhra Pradesh. Additional suspects were detained in West Bengal and Kerala, where Rs 2.48 lakh was also recovered from multiple bank accounts. Authorities seized mobile phones, internet devices, and a vehicle linked to the crime.
