A director at a multinational company in Bengaluru has fallen prey to an online cyber scam and lost ₹7.5 lakh after being deceived by a fraudster impersonating his company’s CEO. The case was registered by the Whitefield Division Cyber Crime Police on Friday after the victim, Abhishek Mitra, filed a formal complaint.
The FIR includes charges under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with Sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deal with cheating and impersonation.
As per Mitra’s statement, the fraud began when he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The sender introduced himself as the CEO of his company and claimed to be attending a meeting in the United States. The impersonator urgently requested Mitra to purchase Apple Store gift vouchers and share the codes.
Believing the message to be genuine, Mitra went ahead and bought 80 Apple Store vouchers online, sending the codes to the fraudster. The truth was revealed when Mitra later contacted his actual CEO, who denied making any such request. Realising the scam, Mitra immediately reported the matter to the cybercrime police.
Officials confirmed that an investigation is underway to trace the fraudster’s IP addresses and digital footprint. Cybersecurity specialists pointed out that this case reflects a classic example of “executive impersonation fraud,” where scammers exploit the trust and urgency associated with senior executives to manipulate employees into financial transactions.
Authorities have issued a strong advisory urging corporate employees to verify all financial requests, particularly those made through informal channels such as WhatsApp or email. They emphasised the importance of reporting suspicious communication immediately to prevent further incidents of cyber fraud.
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