Gold trail exposes Rs 10.4 crore WhatsApp impersonation scam in Mumbai; 6 arrested

Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested six men in a WhatsApp scam targeting a company account. The case shows how impersonation fraud can trigger massive transfers before detection, though banks froze much of the money.

In Short

• Fraudster posed as company director and demanded urgent business transfers
• The 63-year-old complainant sent money in 63 transactions over 12 days
• Swift bank coordination helped investigators freeze over Rs 5.63 crore

The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested six people for allegedly siphoning off more than Rs 10.40 crore from a company’s bank account in a WhatsApp impersonation scam that operated across Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar. Police said quick coordination with banks helped freeze more than Rs 5.63 crore of the defrauded amount.

The case was reported after a 63-year-old man complained on June 16 that he had been cheated between June 3 and June 15 by a fraudster who posed as his company’s director on WhatsApp. According to police, the accused persuaded him to transfer funds on the pretext of urgent business meetings.

Police said the victim made 63 transactions from the company’s bank account, totalling more than Rs 10.40 crore. A case was then registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

Investigators tracked the money trail and carried out raids at several places, leading to the arrest of six men from Jalna in Maharashtra, Bihar and Delhi. Among them was Vikas Upendra Bind, 22, who was taken into custody from Tihar Jail. Police said Rs 9.90 lakh had allegedly been received in his account. Two mobile phones, a bank passbook and an ATM card were seized during the investigation.

According to police, the syndicate allegedly laundered the stolen money by buying gold from jewellery showrooms in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra. Police said account holders and immediate fund handlers have been arrested, while teams are continuing operations in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to trace the alleged kingpin and other absconding suspects. The case centres on the alleged transfer of over Rs 10.40 crore through 63 transactions, with more than Rs 5.63 crore frozen so far.

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