Cyber fraud cases have surged in Mumbai, with individuals managing to siphon off crores of rupees with just a single click. Recently, two prominent companies in the city fell victim to the schemes of a con artist, resulting in substantial financial losses. The frequent instances have posed a serious threat to the cyber safety of companies in the city.

Crores Siphoned Through A Message

The first incident had taken place in an aluminum supply and trading company that suffered a loss of Rs 1.98 crore (approximately $1.98 million). On June 11th, the female accountant received a zip file from an anonymous number on her mobile phone.

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As the accountant opened the file, the fraudster gained complete access to her mobile phone. He changed all the contact details of the call log. The accused saved his number of Managing Director (MD) and deleted the original number.

Shortly after changing the number, the accused messaged the accountant over WhatsApp. He then asked her to immediately send Rs 1.98 crore to his bank account. Later, when the fraud was discovered, the police took immediate action and froze RS 87.04 lakh of the transferred funds.

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In a similar case, a sum of Ts 1.5 crore, or Rs 1.5 crore, was siphoned off from a luxury gold jewelry firm. In this incident, the accountant opened a zip file that contained a virus. As the employee opened the file, the fraudster hacked his mobile phone, blocked the company director's number, and saved his own number as "Director."

Posing as the director, he asked the accountant to transfer Rs 1.5 crore to a textile merchant in Ghaziabad. The junior accountant consulted with his senior accountant, and both, believing the order came directly from the owner, transferred the entire amount between June 12 and 16.

Experts Issue Warning

Cybersecurity expert Nikhil Mahadeshwar, who is assisting police in investigating these virus files, has warned that these dangerous files may hack not only mobile phones but also office systems and laptops, causing significant loss to companies. Companies should use robust security software on their systems.

Cyber Police DCP Bajrang Bansod recently held an awareness session for business houses and companies to protect people from this 'impersonation scam.'