The Cyber Crime Police Station of Chandigarh Police has arrested a 34 year old man accused of cheating a victim of ₹1.3 crore by posing as the victim’s employer on WhatsApp. The accused, identified as Joshua Oscar Nevis from Mumbai, was taken into custody after weeks of investigation into the high value cyber fraud.
The case began when the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The sender pretended to be his employer and urgently requested funds as an advance for a project. Believing the request to be genuine, the victim transferred ₹1.3 crore into an ICICI Bank account linked to the accused. It was later confirmed that the entire exchange was fraudulent.
The case was registered on 20 April under sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Following raids in Mumbai, the accused was arrested on 13 August. The operation was led under the supervision of senior officials including SP Cyber Crime Geetanjali Khandelwal, DSP A Venkatesh, and Inspector Eram Rizvi, SHO Cyber Crime Police Station, Sector 17 Chandigarh.
During questioning, Nevis revealed that he came into contact with another person through Telegram who later introduced him to an accomplice. He admitted to handing over his ICICI bank account kit, cheque book, debit card, and registered SIM card, which were then used to carry out the fraudulent transaction.
Police confirmed that investigations are continuing to track down other people involved and to determine their connection to similar cybercrimes. The accused remains in custody and further interrogation is underway.
Chandigarh Police has also issued a public advisory urging citizens to stay alert against impersonation frauds. They warned that criminals often pose as relatives, courier services, narcotics officials, or even police personnel to trick people into transferring money. Citizens were reminded not to transfer money for reasons such as verification, avoiding arrest, or settling false cases. Instead, suspicious calls or messages should be cross checked with the local police or reported through the Cyber Crime Helpline.
Authorities stressed that vigilance and timely verification remain the strongest protection against rising cases of cyber fraud in India.
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