Cyber crooks hack pharma firm’s email, try to con client of ₹4.3crore

MUMBAI: Cyber criminals hacked into email accounts of pharmaceutical firm Jindal Drugs Private Limited (JDPL) and used the information in them to impersonate a company official and ask one of its clients to make an urgent payment of $6,39,980 (Rs4.27 crore). The hacked accounts belonged to the firm’s accountant and sales department.

This is the second time hackers have compromised JDPL’s systems; in August 2015, cyber criminals – suspected to be from the same gang – duped one of the company’s clients in Delhi of Rs 5 lakh using the same method. This time, however, no money was lost as the client contacted JDPL before making the payment.

According to the police, the incident took place last month, after which Sanjay Kekiti, general manager in JDPL’s legal department, registered a complaint with the Marine Drive police. JDPL’s main branch is at Bakhtawar building, Nariman Point.

An officer from Marine Drive police station, who did not wish to be named, said, “Company officials believe that the attackers hacked into their system and got details of their clients. They then created a fake email ID that closely resembled those of the firm’s accountant and sales department and emailed a client, demanding money. They claimed there was a problem with their usual bank accounts and sent them details of two new accounts, asking them to make an immediate payment.”

The officer added, “As a similar incident had taken place earlier, JDPL officials had told their clients to contact them before making any payments. In this case the client did so, following which JDPL lodged a police complaint.”

The police said that cyber criminals sometimes approach poor people and give them Rs5,000 for their identify documents.

Using these, they open accounts in nationalised banks and use them in the scam.

“When we start our investigations, our first step will be to get the details of the accounts so we trace the people who were made to give up their documents for small amounts of money,” said an investigator.