Cyber Fraud Hits Andheri Company: Rs 1.33 Crore Stolen via Fake Email Scam

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a company in Andheri was duped of approximately ₹1.33 crore by fraudsters who created an email ID resembling that of a foreign company. The accused also hacked into the official emails of the complainant company's officials. Following a complaint, the Amboli Police have registered a case under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita(BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The police are currently investigating the bank accounts where the fraudulent transactions were deposited, with the cybercrime department conducting a parallel probe.

According to reports, an Andheri-based chemical company recently filed a complaint with the Amboli Police. Based on their complaint, police registered an FIR on Friday under BNS sections 319, 318(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and IT Act sections 43, 66, 66(C), and 66(D).

The accused allegedly hacked the official email accounts of Mangala Kamat (Senior Export Manager) and Angad Singh (Business Development Manager) of the complainant company on December 6, 2024. They then created a fraudulent email ID that closely resembled the domain of Egyptian-Canadian Company, one of the Indian company’s business clients.

Using this fake email, the fraudsters communicated with the foreign client while also keeping in touch with the Andheri-based company. The Indian firm was expecting a payment of $153,600 (₹1.33 crore) from the Egyptian-Canadian company. However, the fraudsters intercepted the transaction by sending their own bank account details through a fake email. As a result, the foreign company unknowingly transferred the amount to the fraudsters’ account in December.

The scam came to light when the Indian company recently contacted its foreign client regarding the payment. Upon realizing they had been tricked, the company immediately lodged a complaint with the Amboli Police.

The police have initiated a thorough investigation and are tracking the bank accounts where the fraudulent funds were deposited. Authorities have sought detailed information about these accounts and will proceed with further action based on their findings.

A senior officer confirmed, "We are gathering details of the bank accounts used in the fraud. Once we have the necessary information, we will take appropriate legal action."