8 hrs ago
Fake Boss Scam Triggers Rs 3 Crore Transfer in Gujarat
A worker in Gujarat received a message from someone pretending to be his boss.
The message reportedly came through an impersonated WhatsApp account or an unknown number showing the boss’s photograph.
The fake boss told the worker to make an urgent payment.
The worker then transferred Rs 3 crore from the company’s bank account.
This trick is called a boss scam.
It works by making employees trust urgent instructions from someone who appears to be their manager.
Police and cyber officials quickly put most of the money on hold.
A court order later allowed Rs 2,88,00,165 to be returned, while efforts to recover the rest continued.
An Ahmedabad-based company employee allegedly transferred Rs 3 crore to a fraudster posing as his boss.
The impersonator reportedly contacted the employee through an unknown number or impersonated WhatsApp account displaying the boss’s photograph.
Authorities said the employee was instructed to urgently transfer company funds to a specified bank account.
The reports differ on the incident date, citing August 18 and September 18; a supplied headline also says Rs 12 lakh, while the articles’ body states Rs 3 crore.
Cyber officials placed Rs 2,94,00,165 on hold, and Rs 2,88,00,165 was later returned under a court order.
- Who
- An employee of an Ahmedabad-based private company and a fraudster impersonating the employee’s boss.
- What
- The employee allegedly transferred Rs 3 crore from the company’s bank account to an account supplied by the fraudster.
- Where
- An Ahmedabad-based company in Gujarat; the money was transferred to a specified bank account.
- When
- The reports differ, citing August 18 and September 18; the PTI report is dated September 22.
- Why
- The fraudster allegedly exploited the employee’s trust by posing as the boss and demanding an urgent financial transaction.
Key facts
- Reported loss
- Rs 3 crore
- Amount placed on hold
- Rs 2,94,00,165
- Amount returned
- Rs 2,88,00,165, through a court order
- Fraud type
- Boss scam, involving an executive impersonation
- Contact method
- An unknown number or an impersonated WhatsApp account displaying the boss’s photograph
- Investigation
- A case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station, and investigators are tracing the accused and money trail
- Date discrepancy
- The reports cite August 18 and September 18; one supplied headline says Rs 12 lakh, while the article body states Rs 3 crore
Quotes
Cyber Cell official release
Official statement describing how the fraudster impersonated the employee’s boss and induced the transfer.
“On August 18, the complainant was contacted through an impersonated WhatsApp account by a fraudster who posed as his boss. He gained the employee’s trust and instructed him to make an urgent payment/financial transaction. The employee transferred Rs 3 crore from the bank account of the company to the account provided by the fraudster”
theprint.in
“The Cyber Cell team managed to place Rs 2,94,00,165 out of the Rs 3,00,00,000 lost in the cyber fraud on hold/lien in time. Following prompt action, an amount of Rs 2,88,00,165 was returned to the complainant through a court order”
theprint.in
Sources
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