Scammer Dupes Accountant of Rs 85 Lakh in Navi Mumbai via WhatsApp Impersonation

Navi Mumbai: In a startling case of identity theft in Navi Mumbai, a scammer impersonated the owner of a company on WhatsApp and siphoned off Rs 85 lakh. The fraudster used the company owner's picture as a WhatsApp display photo and tricked the company's accountant into making the transfer.

According to an FIR lodged by the accountant on November 25, he received a message from an unknown number claiming to be Arjun Jolly, the company owner, asking the accountant to save the new contact. The scammer also sent an inaudible voice call and messages claiming to be in a meeting. Shortly afterward, he demanded an urgent transfer of Rs 85 lakh to a specified bank account.

Believing it was an official order, the accountant instructed his junior to make the transfer. However, upon later confirming with his boss, it was revealed that no such request had been made, and the accountant realized he had been scammed.

This modus operandi is gaining popularity among fraudsters, with a similar scam reported in December, where a consultancy firm lost Rs 1.30 crore. Experts from Navi Mumbai Cyber Cell warn that scammers are increasingly targeting companies by studying internal operations and using WhatsApp to impersonate business leaders.