Chandigarh: Cyber crime police have arrested three more accused in a case involving an alleged fraud of around ₹2 crore from a company’s account.
The case relates to a WhatsApp-based impersonation scam in which fraudsters allegedly posed as the company’s managing director and persuaded an employee to transfer money to another bank account. According to police, the investigation is now focused on tracing the complete money trail, identifying the ultimate beneficiaries and locating other bank accounts allegedly used by the network.
An FIR was registered on April 17, 2026, following a complaint by a resident of Shivalik Enclave, Chandigarh. The complainant’s company was allegedly targeted through a WhatsApp-based impersonation fraud. According to the allegations, a fraudster contacted the company’s accounts officer through WhatsApp and posed as the company’s managing director. The accused allegedly used the managing director’s profile photograph to make the communication appear genuine.
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Police said the fraudster instructed the accounts officer to transfer money to a specified bank account. The account was reportedly maintained in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Believing the instruction to have come from a senior company official, the employee allegedly transferred the funds. Investigators suspect that the money was subsequently moved through multiple bank accounts to conceal its trail and reach other members of the network.
During the investigation, police arrested three more people. According to police, one of the accused allegedly provided his bank account to the fraudsters through two other persons for receiving part of the cheated amount. Around ₹3 lakh was allegedly credited to the account. The accused is alleged to have withdrawn the entire amount through a cheque and handed it over to the fraudsters in return for a commission.
The second accused allegedly acted as an intermediary in arranging the bank account. Police said he facilitated the first accused’s account through another person for receiving the cheated amount. Investigators also allege that he had previously provided his own bank account to fraudsters in connection with another cyber fraud. The money was allegedly withdrawn and handed over to the fraudsters in exchange for a commission.
The third arrested accused allegedly obtained the bank account through the intermediary and provided it to the fraudsters. Police said he also coordinated communication between the account holder and the fraudsters. Investigators allege that he had earlier provided his own bank account for receiving money linked to another cyber crime and subsequently withdrew and handed over the funds to the fraudsters for a commission.
Two other accused had been arrested earlier on August 17 in connection with the case. According to police, they were arrested during the investigation into the beneficiary account and the company allegedly used in the fraudulent transactions. With the latest arrests, investigators have obtained additional leads regarding the bank accounts allegedly used to receive and transfer the proceeds of the fraud.
The investigation is now focused on establishing where the money transferred from the company ultimately went and identifying the final beneficiaries. Police are examining bank records, digital evidence and communication details between the accused and other suspected members of the network.
Investigators are also tracing the different layers of accounts allegedly used to move the money. Police suspect that the funds may have been transferred through multiple accounts before reaching the people who allegedly controlled the operation. The authorities are also trying to determine how many other individuals were involved and whether the same network may have targeted other companies or individuals using similar WhatsApp impersonation tactics.
The investigation is continuing, with police examining the financial and digital trail to identify additional members of the alleged network and determine their respective roles in the fraud.
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