WhatsApp Fake Chats Caused 2 Crore Loss and 2 Criminals Arrested in Bengal
Two Arrested in Bengal for Creating WhatsApp Fake Chats That Led to ₹2 Crore Fraud
“During a corporate WhatsApp Fraud, the West Bengal Cyber Wing recovered Rs 1.31 Crore. While the 2 accused were going for the remaining Rs 67 Lakhs, they were arrested.”
In an important incident, the West Bengal Police’s Cyber Crime Wing has effectively recovered Rs 1.31 crore that was wrongfully taken out of a business bank account in a recent cyberattack.
Investigations into the rest of the money are still ongoing; however, the total amount scammed was Rs 1.98 crore.
What happened in the incident?
| 1. On June 25, 2025, Nikhil Kumar Mahanta, Haldia Water Services Pvt. Ltd.’s chief operating officer, got a WhatsApp message from a number posing as the managing director of the company.
2. The message, which imitated the MD’s communication style and utilized his display photo, told Mahanta to pay Rs 1.98 crore immediately to a bank account owned by Bangalore-based Slamione IT Solution Pvt. Ltd. 3. Mahanta accepted the RTGS transfer to an HDFC Bank account since he thought the message was authentic. 4. With help from the Cyber Crime Wing, he quickly became suspicious of abnormalities in the messages and lodged a complaint via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. 5. His written complaint prompted the Durgachak police station to file a formal complaint (FIR) under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the BNS against an unidentified accused. 6. For a speedy investigation, the case was turned over to the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing. 7. This sum was successfully returned to the company’s account within 13 days of the incident. 8. A lien of Rs 1.39 crore has been placed on the fraudulent sum thus far. |
Senior Official, West Bengal Police, India Today
| The Cyber Crime Wing moved quickly to freeze Rs 1.31 crore of the transferred funds by working with HDFC Bank’s Domlur branch in Bangalore. |
What happened after the incident?
- Two inhabitants of Bamongola in the Malda area, Mantu Das and Papai Das, have been taken into custody as part of the inquiry.
- They allegedly supplied the SIM card that was used to pose as the Managing Director on WhatsApp.
- According to police sources, preliminary investigations point to the involvement of an interstate cyber fraud gang.
- In an effort to catch others participating in what seems to be a sophisticated and well-planned fraud, authorities are still following leads across states.
About The Author
Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”
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