The Ludhiana Police has arrested an IT professional from West Bengal in a cyber fraud case worth Rs 86 lakh.
Police accuse phishing techniques and fake websites of deceiving victims across multiple states.
In a significant development, the Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police have detained a 40-year-old West Bengali IT specialist on suspicion of orchestrating a ₹86 lakh cyber scam. It is alleged that the accused, who runs a technology company, carried out a complex scam aimed at a textile company located in the city.
Officials claim that the suspect tricked the company’s accountant into moving the substantial sum to an account under the control of the cybercriminal network by using social engineering and impersonation techniques. In a deliberate attempt to evade detection, the accused allegedly laundered the stolen money through several bank accounts.
Identity Theft Through WhatsApp
The incident was discovered after a formal complaint was filed in December 2024 by Shrenik Jain, 58, director of a textile company on Dr. Sham Singh Road in Civil Lines. According to Jain’s complaint, on December 17, his accountant, Amit Salaria, got a WhatsApp message from an unidentified number that featured Jain’s picture as the profile picture.
Believing the message was genuine, Salaria saved the number without verification. The next day, the imposter instructed Salaria to check the company’s bank balance and transfer ₹86 lakh to an ICICI Bank account, claiming it was for a new business venture. Trusting the sender’s identity, Salaria executed the transfer — only to later discover through a phone call with Jain that he had been tricked.
Theft of Identity Using WhatsApp
Following the complaint, a formal complaint was filed at the Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Inspector Satvir Singh, who is leading the investigation, stated:
“We traced the trail of the funds to a primary bank account where the ₹86 lakh was initially deposited. The money was then quickly funneled through several other accounts. The arrested individual is an IT expert with his own firm in West Bengal. So far, we have recovered ₹21.5 lakh from his possession.”
Advisory to the Public
Financial officers and business owners have been advised by the Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police to thoroughly check all digital communications, even if they seem to be from people they know. They stress the necessity of internal protocols and multi-factor verification for high-value transactions in order toAdvisory to the Public
Financial officers and business owners have been advised by the Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police to thoroughly check all digital communications, even if they seem to be from people they know. To stop such frauds, they stress the necessity of internal protocols and multi-factor verification for high-value transactions.Let such scams out.
