Cyber Fraud via WhatsApp Message: Jewelry Director Duped of ₹1.09 Crore in Major Kanpur Scam
Cyber Fraud via WhatsApp Message: Jewelry Director Duped of ₹1.09 Crore in Major Kanpur Scam
Birhana Road, Kanpur’s business center, has been the scene of a significant cyber scam in which the director of PB Society Jewellers was defrauded of ₹1.09 crore. Cybercriminals deceived the company’s accountant into sending substantial amounts to three companies in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh by posing as the director on WhatsApp.
The event reportedly happened on Friday when the accountant for the company got a message with the director’s name displayed from a new WhatsApp number. After requesting the account balance, the sender immediately instructed three other businesses to receive money transfers. Without checking, the accountant sent ₹1.09 crore because he thought the mail was authentic.
The Sequence of the Fraud
Mahesh Chandra Jain, the owner of the company and president of the Uttar Pradesh Sarafa Association, stated that his son, Prashant Jain, is the director of PB Society Jewellers. Gajendra Rathore, the accountant, has been with the company for many years. He lives in Ratanpur village.
Rathore got a WhatsApp message on October 10 that seemed to be from the director. The sender provided two account details after verifying the balance:
- ₹52.70 lakh for Rokadia Electric & Sales Center
- ₹51.60 lakh for Living Events Pvt. Ltd.
The accountant transferred ₹51.60 lakh through Bank of India and ₹52.70 lakh via RTGS in accordance with the instructions. A second communication later instructed him to wire ₹4.87 lakh to Shalima Firm, which he did the following business day.
Revelation and Investigation
Prashant Jain was astonished to hear about the transactions when he got to the office that evening. The money had already been taken out when the company called banks right away to freeze the accounts.
An inquiry was started as soon as a complaint was filed at the Cyber Crime Police Station.
Police Action
The cyber cell has been entrusted with tracking down the suspects, according to the commissioner of Kanpur Police.
| “Preliminary investigation suggests that the delay in alerting the bank allowed the fraudsters to divert the funds into multiple accounts. The cyber team is tracking the transaction trail and gathering details from various banks to identify the culprits.” |
Cybercrime Expert’s View
One of India’s top cybersecurity experts and renowned media panelist, Mr. Mohit Yadav, voiced alarm about the rising prevalence of these impersonation-based scams. He stated:
| “This instance demonstrates the growing sophistication of hackers, who use digital impersonation and social engineering to take advantage of weaknesses in internal communication.” |
Companies must improve their verification processes, particularly for high-value transactions, and regularly train employees in digital hygiene and cyber awareness. Before transferring funds, voice verification and multi-level approval mechanisms must be put in place. The majority of cybercrimes are the result of human error and misplaced trust rather than technological failure.
Overall Verdict
A major cautionary tale for companies that rely significantly on digital communication is the Kanpur event. Experts emphasize that in order to create a proactive cyber vigilance structure that can stop similar frauds in the future, law enforcement, banks, and corporate entities must work together more closely.
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blogs, he also writes for brands including Craw Security, Bytecode Security, and NASSCOM.
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