PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Cyber Crime Police arrested six individuals from multiple states Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh— in connection with a WhatsApp scam that defrauded a woman employee of Rs 5.1 crore. The accused had impersonated the victim’s company Managing Director (MD) using a WhatsApp profile and tricked her into transferring funds. The police recovered Rs 2.48 crore from banks in West Bengal and Kerala, of which Rs 1.97 crore was recovered from a single account in Murshidabad, West Bengal and the rest from multiple bank accounts in Kerala.
According to the complaint, the victim received a message from an unknown number bearing the MD’s profile picture. Believing it to be a new contact number, she engaged in conversation. The impersonator claimed to be at a government meeting and urgently needed funds for a new project. Trusting the identity, the victim transferred Rs 5.1 crore from the company’s account to the bank details provided. Suspicion arose only after the transaction, prompting her to verify the request, only to realize she had been duped.
Acting swiftly under the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police Nara Chaitanya, Inspector BC Kirtty registered the case and launched a multi-state investigation. Initial probes revealed that Rs 1.8 crore had been transferred to an Axis Bank account in Kerala, operated by one Sajith, who was subsequently arrested.
A special team then arrested Omkar Nath from Karnataka, Raghavendra from Telangana, and Sashidhar Nayak and Bavajan from Andhra Pradesh. Several mobile phones, internet devices, and a vehicle used in the crime were seized.
Police said the accused revealed more individuals were involved in the racket, and further arrests are expected. Authorities also warned about a rising trend where individuals rent out bank accounts and mobile numbers to cybercriminals for commission. Over ten such arrests have been made this year.
Inspector General of Police Ajith Kumar Singla cautioned the public against sharing personal banking or contact information for profit. Citizens are urged to report cyber fraud by calling 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in.