TGCSB cracks ₹4.7 crore WhatsApp boss fraud; two mule account operators arrested
HYDERABAD: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested two persons for allegedly facilitating a ₹4.70 crore cyber fraud in which a fraudster impersonated a company’s Managing Director on WhatsApp and induced an employee to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by the fraud network.
The case was registered as Crime No. 48/2026 under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act.
According to TGCSB, the fraudster created a WhatsApp profile using the Managing Director’s name and photograph. Believing the messages to be genuine, the complainant transferred ₹4.70 crore to bank accounts specified by the accused.
During the investigation, technical analysis and bank account verification led to the arrest of Dosapati Krishna Sai, a resident of Sathupally in Khammam district, and Mandavally Shiva Nagaraju, a resident of Kothapet in Hyderabad, originally from Sathupally in Khammam district.
Investigators found that the accused allegedly procured and supplied current bank accounts to cyber fraudsters in return for commission. They also facilitated the operation of mule accounts and shared nearly ₹4 lakh received as commission.
The investigation further revealed that ₹1.80 crore of the defrauded amount was credited to the bank account of Shiva Nagaraju. TGCSB alleged that the account had been arranged and provided to cyber fraudsters by Krishna Sai. Analysis of the account also showed suspicious credit transactions exceeding ₹2.49 crore. The account was linked to multiple cybercrime complaints registered in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody. Police said efforts are under way to identify and apprehend the remaining absconding accused and trace the remaining proceeds of the crime.
Issuing a public advisory, TGCSB cautioned people against trusting WhatsApp profiles solely based on display names or photographs. The bureau advised individuals and organisations to independently verify requests involving urgent or confidential fund transfers, particularly when money is sought to be transferred to a new bank account.
The bureau also urged citizens to report cyber fraud immediately through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
TGCSB Director Shikha Goel said the investigation is continuing to identify the remaining members of the cyber fraud network and recover the defrauded money.
