Noida: Cyber fraud dupes MNC’s India branch of ₹3.52 cr  

An US-based firm’s Indian branch was duped of ₹3.52 crore by a cybercriminal who impersonated as another director of their company on March 26, said police on Sunday, adding that a case has been registered at the cybercrime branch police station and ₹52 lakh frozen in the account.

Police said the complainant, an official at the administrative office of Noida’s Sector 63 branch, reported the incident on behalf of the victim director, saying that one of their company’s directors received a WhatsApp message from an unidentified number, asking for money transfer to a client.

The message sender, posing as another director of the same company, told the victim director that he had changed his phone number and thus communicating via a new one. “Later, the victim received another WhatsApp message from the fraud’s number (posing as director), saying that he was sitting with government leaders regarding a new project… After some time, the fraudster requested that a security deposit be transferred to a client to secure the new project,” reads the FIR.

Police said the fraudster then shared some bank account numbers, and made the victim director transfer ₹3.52 crore in multiple payments.

But when the actual director (whose name was being used by the fraud) saw the transactions, he immediately called the victim director leading to his realisation that a fraud had taken place, the FIR added.

Later, the banks were informed, and the case was reported on the cybercrime branch website. “We have registered a case under section 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act at the cybercrime branch police station on Friday, and so far, ₹52 lakh have been seized successfully. Efforts are on to recover more money and nab the suspects,” said cybercrime branch’s station house officer Ranjeet Singh.

The Atlanta headquartered has over 15 branches worldwide. Its Delhi National Capital Region branch is located in Sector 63, Noida.