A Hyderabad-based private firm has allegedly lost ₹1 crore in a WhatsApp impersonation scam after an employee transferred the amount to fraudsters posing as the company’s owner. The Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to police, Dilip Kumar, a resident of Nizampet, operates Maisamma Retail Private Limited. On Tuesday, one of the firm’s employees received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number claiming to be acting on the instructions of the company owner. The sender stated that an urgent payment of ₹1 crore had to be made immediately and shared bank account details for the transfer.
Believing the message to be genuine, the employee transferred ₹1 crore to the specified bank account without verifying the instruction. After completing the transaction, the employee attempted to contact the sender but received no response. The incident was then reported to the company owner, who confirmed that he had never issued such an instruction and had no connection with the bank account mentioned in the message.
Realising that the company had fallen victim to cyber fraud, its representatives lodged a complaint with the Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police. Police have registered a case against unidentified fraudsters and initiated an investigation into the incident.
Investigators are examining the beneficiary bank accounts, mobile numbers, digital communication records and the movement of funds. They are also coordinating with the concerned bank to trace the transferred amount and identify those involved in the fraud.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fraudsters may have exploited the company’s payment process by impersonating the business owner through WhatsApp. Police are investigating the source of the communication and other digital evidence to establish the identity of the accused and determine whether the fraud is linked to a wider cybercrime network.
