WhatsApp Impersonation Scam Costs Company ₹5.30 Crore, Pune Man Arrested

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Impersonation Scam Results in ₹5.30 Crore Financial Loss, Pune Resident Detained

Incident Overview

Rajasthan Police’s State Cyber Crime Branch has identified a ₹5.30 crore corporate cyber fraud case and detained an individual from Pune, Maharashtra, linked to an inter-state criminal network. Authorities reported that perpetrators allegedly utilized the digital profile and name of a prominent company’s chairman to mimic his identity, deceiving the organization’s financial officer into transferring funds under the guise of an urgent business transaction.

Investigation Details

The investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on tracing the full scope of the network through digital forensics, banking records, and financial transaction analysis. The incident was reported on April 27, 2026, via the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) by Deependra Singh, representing Galaxy Mining Private Limited. The complaint detailed that cybercriminals created an account using the chairman’s name and profile image, Deependra Singh Rathore.

Technical Analysis

The financial officer received communications from the fraudulent account instructing an immediate high-value transfer, accompanied by details of two bank accounts. Believing the request to be authentic due to the apparent legitimacy of the sender, the officer executed the transaction via online banking. Police revealed that the fraudsters initially gathered publicly accessible data and images of the company’s chairman before establishing the fake profile.

Legal Actions

Investigators suspect the accused exploited standard corporate communication protocols and social engineering tactics typical of business impersonation schemes, where attackers mimic senior executives to authorize unauthorized financial transfers. Technical analysis of the case involved examining bank accounts, mobile numbers, digital transactions, and electronic records. Based on this evidence, Rajasthan Police identified Rahul Ashok, a 32-year-old from Pune, Maharashtra.

Expert Advice

According to law enforcement, the accused allegedly confessed to providing bank accounts to primary fraudsters in exchange for financial incentives and facilitating the movement of illicit funds. Despite working as a daily wage laborer, the accused is alleged to have assisted in establishing a current account under a fictitious company name, with its transaction limit later increased to ₹50 crore.

Investigators believe this account was previously used in a similar ₹5.30 crore cyber fraud in March 2026. The probe also indicates the accused helped set up three additional bank accounts for the criminal syndicate. Once funds were deposited, they were rapidly moved through multiple accounts in a layered process designed to obscure the source and flow of the money.

Ongoing Investigation

Authorities are also reviewing whether any banking personnel were involved in opening accounts under false company names or approving the ₹50 crore transaction limit. Legal action will be pursued if evidence confirms any banking employee’s complicity. Ongoing efforts aim to identify and apprehend the alleged mastermind, Amit Singh, and other members of the suspected network.

A cybersecurity expert and former IPS officer, Prof. Triveni Singh, emphasized that organizations must not authorize large financial transactions based solely on messages or profile images. He recommended implementing independent identity verification, multi-tier approval systems, callback verification processes, and multi-factor authentication for significant payments. He highlighted the rising prevalence of social engineering attacks targeting corporate staff and stressed that rigorous verification procedures remain the most effective defense.

The investigation continues, with final legal determinations contingent on evidence presented during the judicial process.