3 weeks ago

Boss Scam: How Hackers Hijack WhatsApp CEO Accounts for Fraud

Some bad people are pretending to be company bosses to steal money.

They send a message that looks like it comes from a big government office, with a file attached.

If someone opens the file, a secret program sneaks into their computer.

The program can take over the boss's real WhatsApp account.

Then the bad people send urgent messages from the boss's account asking for money.

Workers may think the message is real and send the money, but it goes to the scammers.

A special group in India called I4C works to stop these scams.

They have protected more than 10,000 people and warned over 58,000 others.

To stay safe, always check with a real person by phone or face to face before sending money.

Never open strange computer files, and keep your computer and apps updated.

Key facts

Scam name: Boss Scam / CEO impersonation fraud
Attack vector: Hijacked WhatsApp Web session of a real senior executive
Malicious file names: Statement of Account.zip, RBI.zip, MCA.zip
Malware technique: DLL sideloading with Windows .exe and .dll files
Indians protected: More than 10,000
Victims alerted (30 days): Over 58,000 via SMS header 'I4CMHA-G'
First I4C advisory: June 22, 2026
Reporting channel: National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

businesstoday.in · 3 weeks ago