Woman Behind Pune’s Biggest Whale Phishing Scam Arrested After Months on the Run, Had Scammed Prominent Builder

Pune, 19th December 2024: Pune City Police have finally arrested Saniya Mustakim Siddique (21), a woman cyber fraudster who had escaped custody earlier this year while being transported from Rajasthan to Pune. Siddique, who was involved in a Rs 4 crore whaling phishing scam targeting a Pune-based builder, had been initially apprehended in Faridabad in February but managed to flee while en route to Pune.

The Pune police tracked Siddique down in Bihar after a coordinated search effort. “We were on her trail, but she kept changing her contact numbers and locations, making it difficult to locate her,” said a Cyber Crime Police Station officer. “With fresh leads, we sent teams to New Delhi and Bihar. It was from this intelligence that we learned she was hiding in Gopalganj, Bihar.”

On December 15, a special team deployed to Lohar Patti village in Gopalganj used disguises to blend in with the local population. After monitoring her movements, they seized the opportunity to make the arrest. However, upon realizing the police were closing in, Siddique attempted to escape by climbing onto the roof and jumping. “She tried to flee, but our team swiftly pursued and apprehended her,” the officer added.

Siddique was brought back to Pune, where a local court has remanded her in police custody until December 23.

DCP (Cyber and Economic Offences) Vivel Masal provided further insight into the accused. “Saniya, who uses the alias ‘Gudia,’ comes from a modest background in Gopalganj. After dropping out of school, she got involved in a cybercrime racket, where she was primarily responsible for acquiring and managing mule accounts for the criminals,” said Masal. “We are now investigating her connections and working to uncover her accomplices.”

The scam for which she was originally arrested in February involved a whaling phishing attack on a prominent Pune-based real estate company in late January. The cybercriminals impersonated the company’s chairman and managing director, tricking the firm’s senior accounts officer into making 18 large transactions, amounting to Rs 4 crore, into fraudulent bank accounts. The scam was reported by the real estate company’s Deputy General Manager (Accounts) at the Cyber Crime Police Station.