A sophisticated cyber fraud incident has come to light in Mumbai, where scammers impersonated a company director on WhatsApp to dupe a senior executive out of nearly Rs 2 crore. The fraud, widely known as a boss scam, involved bad actors misusing the profile photo and identity of the firm's director to deceive a General Manager into making an urgent wire transfer. Despite the massive Rs 1.98 crore scam executed on August 6, 2026, swift intervention by the Mumbai Police cyber team managed to track the money trail and secure almost the entire stolen amount.
How the WhatsApp Impersonation Unfolded
The victim, working as a General Manager in a private enterprise, received a WhatsApp message from an unfamiliar phone number. The profile displayed the name and photograph of the company director, giving the appearance of an authentic top-level directive. The sender insisted that an urgent business payment was required immediately and instructed the executive to transfer Rs 1.98 crore to a specified bank account. Believing the request was genuine and time-sensitive, the manager executed the transaction without delay.
Discovery of Fraud and Immediate Police Action
The scam was discovered shortly after the fund transfer was completed, when the General Manager contacted the real mobile number of the company director to confirm the receipt of payment. The director informed the manager that no such payment order had been issued and that their identity had been fraudulently misused. Realizing that a crime had taken place, the victim promptly reached out to the Mumbai Police cyber helpline 1930 and lodged an official complaint with the South Division Cyber Police Station.
Police Track Funds and Recover 92 Percent of Stolen Money
Acting on the emergency report, cyber police officials initiated a rapid response by tracing the destination accounts of the fraudulent transfer. By coordinating immediately with bank compliance teams and financial intermediaries, authorities successfully froze Rs 1,83,03,492 before the fraudsters could withdraw or siphon off the funds. This swift effort effectively secured approximately 92 percent of the total defrauded amount, minimizing the victimized firm's financial loss.
Official Advisory on Impersonation Scams
Following the incident, Mumbai Police issued a public advisory urging citizens and business professionals to exercise extreme caution regarding financial directives received on messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram. Authorities stressed that individuals should never transfer money based solely on a profile picture or display name. Whenever an urgent payment request is made from an unknown or new mobile number claiming to be a senior official, employees must independently verify the request through the executive's known official phone number. In cases of suspected fraud, victims are urged to dial the 1930 helpline or register a complaint on the national cybercrime portal immediately, as early reporting dramatically increases the likelihood of recovering stolen money.
