Pune: Cyber Fraudsters Dupe Company of Rs 26 Lakh by Posing as Owner on WhatsApp
Pune, 29th March 2025: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, scammers duped a company out of ₹25.9 lakh by impersonating its owner on WhatsApp. The fraudster contacted the company’s accountant, claiming to be in a meeting, and requested an urgent fund transfer.
The scam came to light when the fraudster demanded additional money, prompting the real owner to message the accountant and reveal that he had never made such a request. Only then did the accountant realize the company had been defrauded.
The incident occurred online on March 22. A 55-year-old company manager lodged a police complaint, following which Warje Malwadi Police registered a case of fraud.
According to police, a 40-year-old female accountant received a WhatsApp message from someone posing as the company’s owner. The sender first inquired about the account balance and then, claiming to be in a meeting, instructed her to transfer ₹25.9 lakh to a bank account belonging to Rafiq Ansari.
Since the message resembled previous communications from the owner, she did not suspect foul play and transferred the amount without verification. Shortly after, another request came in for ₹18.6 lakh. However, around the same time, she received a WhatsApp message from the real owner asking, “Where are you?”
Sensing something was amiss, she immediately contacted the owner through the intercom and mentioned the payment. Shocked, the owner denied requesting any transactions, leading to the realization that cybercriminals had manipulated the accountant into transferring the funds.
The case is currently under investigation by Senior Police Inspector Vishwajit Kaingade.
