19 hrs ago
Pune Sugar Trader Loses Rs 3 Crore in Whale-Phishing Attack
A sugar trader in Pune lost Rs 3 crore after criminals tricked his accountant.
The criminals appear to have hacked the accountant’s phone using a suspicious file.
They used a WhatsApp number saved with the trader’s name.
The messages told the accountant to send money from the company’s bank account.
The accountant sent three transfers of Rs 1 crore each.
The money went to accounts in Madhya Pradesh.
The trader discovered the fraud when the accountant asked him about a GST number.
Police are investigating and advising businesses to verify large payment requests by phone.
A Pune-based sugar trader lost Rs 3 crore in under an hour.
Fraudsters allegedly compromised the accountant’s phone and impersonated the trader on WhatsApp.
The accountant made three Rs 1 crore transfers to Bank of Baroda accounts in Madhya Pradesh.
The fraud was discovered after the accountant asked the trader for a GST number.
Police suspect malware and are investigating cheating and criminal conspiracy under cybercrime laws.
- Who
- A Pune-based sugar trader, his accountant, and alleged cyber fraudsters.
- What
- Three unauthorized transfers totaling Rs 3 crore were made from the company’s bank account.
- Where
- The business is based in Market Yard, Pune, and the beneficiary accounts were in Rewa district or districts of Madhya Pradesh.
- When
- On a Monday morning, August 31; the article does not clearly specify the year, while the suspicious filename references 2026.
- Why
- Police suspect malware compromised the accountant’s phone, allowing fraudsters to impersonate the trader and issue payment instructions.
Key facts
- Reported loss
- Rs 3 crore
- Transaction count
- Three transfers of Rs 1 crore each
- Time taken
- Less than one hour
- Targeted device
- The accountant’s mobile phone
- Suspected malware file
- Transaction_Details_31/08/2026 img
- Police station
- Pune City Cyber Police Station
- Case provisions
- Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions concerning cheating and criminal conspiracy
Quotes
A Cyber police station officer
Officer explaining whale-phishing scams and their targets
“Whale phishing, also known as a boss scam or CEO scam, is a highly targeted form of phishing in which fraudsters specifically target senior executives, business owners or individuals with access to large sums of money.”
indianexpress.com
“Probe suggests that this malware was used to compromise the accountants phone, hack into the contacts and use the compromised device for the fraud.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
Hackers Exploit WhatsApp Web in Sophisticated CEO Fraud Attacks
Fraudsters posing as senior official dupe accountant into Rs1.5cr transfer
Mumbai Firm Loses ₹1.98 Crore in WhatsApp Director Impersonation Scam
Cyberabad Police Recover ₹1 Crore in WhatsApp Impersonation Scam
Pune Firm Loses Rs 30 Lakh in Teams Boss Scam
Boss Scam: How Hackers Hijack WhatsApp CEO Accounts for Fraud
Mumbai CA Targeted After Lost Phone, Photos Allegedly Morphed
Mumbai Police Book Two Over Provocative Clash Videos
Two Thane Seniors Lose Rs 15.73 Lakh in Voter Fraud
Two Men Arrested In Pune Cyber Fraud Bank Account Case
