Mumbai ‘Boss Scam’: Employee Loses ₹1.98 Crore After Fraudsters Impersonate Company Director on WhatsApp
Mumbai: A sophisticated cyber fraud in Mumbai has highlighted a growing scam in which criminals impersonate senior company officials to pressure employees into making urgent financial transfers. In the latest case, a private company employee was allegedly tricked into transferring ₹1.98 crore after fraudsters used the name and photograph of the company’s director on WhatsApp.
Fortunately, quick action by the employee and Mumbai Police helped authorities secure ₹1.83 crore, or nearly 92 per cent of the amount allegedly transferred.
Fraudsters Posed as Company Director
The incident reportedly took place on August 6, 2026, when the victim, a general manager at a private company, received WhatsApp messages from an unfamiliar mobile number.
The messages appeared convincing because the account carried the name and profile photograph of the company’s director. Believing that he was communicating with a senior official, the employee did not initially suspect anything unusual.
The person messaging him allegedly claimed that an urgent payment needed to be made and instructed him to transfer ₹1.98 crore to a specified bank account.
Under the impression that the request had come directly from the company’s director, the employee followed the instructions and completed the transaction.
Truth Came Out After the Money Was Transferred
The fraud was discovered only after the payment had already been made.
Following the transaction, the employee contacted the company’s actual director through his known mobile number to inform him about the payment. That was when the employee learned that the director had never sent the WhatsApp messages and had not authorised the transfer.
It became clear that cybercriminals had allegedly copied the director’s identity by using his name and photograph and had created the impression that the payment request was genuine.
The employee then realised that he had fallen victim to a carefully planned impersonation scam.
Immediate Complaint Helped Police Recover Most of the Money
After discovering the fraud, the victim acted quickly and contacted the Mumbai Police cyber helpline 1930 as well as the Cyber Police Station in the South Division.
The prompt complaint allowed investigators to begin tracing the financial transaction and work towards blocking or recovering the transferred funds.
Police were able to secure ₹1,83,03,492, which represents approximately 92 per cent of the ₹1.98 crore allegedly transferred in the scam.
The recovery highlights how important it is for victims of online financial fraud to report the incident immediately. Even a short delay can make it more difficult for authorities to trace the money once it moves through multiple bank accounts.
‘Boss Scam’ Uses Trust and Urgency Against Employees
The Mumbai incident is an example of what is commonly referred to as a “boss scam” or executive impersonation fraud.
In such cases, scammers pretend to be a company’s owner, director, manager or another senior executive. They often use information and photographs available online to make fake profiles appear authentic.
The fraudsters then create a sense of urgency by claiming that a payment must be made immediately or that an important business transaction is waiting.
Because employees may be accustomed to following instructions from senior officials, the pressure and apparent authority of the message can make victims act without independently verifying the request.
Police Warn Against Trusting WhatsApp Profiles
Mumbai Police has urged employees and members of the public to be particularly careful when receiving financial instructions through WhatsApp, Telegram or other messaging platforms.
Police have advised people not to rely solely on a person’s name, profile picture or designation when receiving a request involving money.
If a message comes from a new or unfamiliar number and asks for an urgent transfer, the recipient should independently contact the concerned person through their existing phone number or another official communication channel.
Employees should also follow their company’s established financial approval procedures rather than bypassing them because a message appears to come from a senior official.
What To Do If You Are Targeted
Authorities have stressed that anyone who suspects they have become a victim of cyber financial fraud should report it immediately.
Victims can contact the 1930 cyber fraud helpline and report the incident through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Providing transaction details, bank information, phone numbers, screenshots and other available evidence can assist investigators in tracing the money and identifying the perpetrators.
The Mumbai case serves as a strong reminder that a familiar name or photograph on WhatsApp does not prove that the person behind the account is genuine.
With cybercriminals increasingly using social media information and impersonation techniques, employees and businesses need to verify unexpected payment requests—especially large or urgent ones—before transferring any money. In this case, the employee’s quick decision to report the fraud helped police recover most of the amount, but the incident also shows how easily a trusted identity can be exploited in today’s digital workplace.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
