Puducherry woman defrauded of ₹5.1 crore via WhatsApp impersonation scam leading to 10 arrests across multiple states

Summary

A Puducherry woman was defrauded of Rs 5.1 crore in a WhatsApp impersonation scam, after an impersonator posing as her company’s Managing Director convinced her to transfer funds for an urgent business project. The scam was orchestrated by individuals who used a WhatsApp profile impersonating the MD, leading the victim to transfer money to bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Police arrested 10 individuals from Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and West Bengal in connection with the scam. During the investigation, Rs 2.48 lakhs was recovered from bank accounts in West Bengal and Kerala. The police revealed that the scam involved multiple states and that the accused had used rented bank accounts and mobile numbers. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities warning about the increasing trend of individuals renting out their accounts for cybercrime.