Four people have been arrested after cybercriminals allegedly duped a Bengaluru university of ₹1.40 crore using a fake WhatsApp profile.
The fraud came to light after an unidentified person allegedly impersonated university president Chenraj Roychand on WhatsApp and persuaded an accountant to transfer ₹1.40 crore from the institution’s bank account. Bengaluru’s Cyber Command Unit has arrested four accused, seized ₹8.50 lakh in cash and four mobile phones, and is searching for a fifth suspect who remains absconding.
How did the fraudsters transfer ₹1.40 crore?
According to police, Santosh A.S., an employee of a private deemed-to-be university, filed a complaint on September 9. He reported that an unidentified person had created a fake WhatsApp profile using Roychand’s photograph and a new mobile number to contact the university’s accountant, Vinay Bhushan.
Investigators said the fraudster messaged Bhushan at around 10.03 am on September 8 to enquire about the balance in the university’s bank account. At approximately 11.34 am, the person allegedly instructed him to transfer ₹1.40 crore. Believing the instructions had come from the university president, the accountant completed the transaction.
Police registered a case at the South Division Cyber Crime Police Station under Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Investigators subsequently examined banking records, mobile phone data and other technical evidence.
How did the gang allegedly prepare for the scam?
Police suspect the accused monitored the university’s financial transactions for 15 to 20 days before carrying out the transfer. During this period, they allegedly gathered information about the institution’s banking activities and payment operations to make the impersonation appear credible.
Investigators also found that a ZIP file had allegedly been sent to employees before the fraud. According to police, the gang used the Chrome browser and WhatsApp Web to access institutional data without employees’ knowledge.
Foreign IP addresses were reportedly detected during the investigation. Police are examining the technical evidence to establish how the accused obtained access to the institution’s information and coordinated the transfer.
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Who are the four people arrested?
Police arrested 25-year-old Annayya in Bengaluru’s KR Puram area before conducting raids in Hyderabad. The operation led to the arrests of 26-year-old Buspalli Ravikumar Reddy and 39-year-old Ambaraya.
Investigators subsequently arrested 25-year-old Syed Wajihuddin Quadri in Hyderabad when he allegedly arrived to collect money. Police said all four accused had been produced before a court.
A fifth suspect, identified as Sunny alias David, remains absconding. Investigators are attempting to trace him and establish the roles of other suspected members of the network.
According to police, Sunny allegedly directed Annayya to approach friends and acquaintances, persuade them to open bank accounts and obtain cheque books, and hand over the account details. These accounts were allegedly used to move money linked to fraudulent transactions.
Ravikumar Reddy and Ambaraya were reportedly based in Hyderabad, while Quadri was allegedly called in to withdraw money through cheques and hand over the cash to Ambaraya.
What has the wider investigation revealed?
Police said the accused had allegedly used more than 60 mule bank accounts in 22 online fraud cases across several states. Mule accounts are used to receive, transfer or withdraw money connected to fraudulent activities, sometimes with the account holders’ knowledge and sometimes through misuse of their banking details.
During the operation, police seized ₹8.50 lakh in cash suspected of being linked to a separate online fraud case registered in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Four mobile phones were also seized for examination.
Investigators are tracing transactions through the identified accounts to determine the movement of the university’s money and establish whether other people were involved. The probe is continuing, with police seeking to recover the funds and locate the absconding suspect. The allegations against the arrested individuals remain subject to the legal process.
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