Cybercriminal impersonates TGTRANSCO CMD in whatsApp scam, CFO prevents fund transfer
HYDERABAD: A cybercriminal impersonated TGTRANSCO CMD D. Krishna Bhaskar in a WhatsApp scam and attempted to trick the TGTRANSCO Chief Financial Officer (CFO) into transferring a large sum to a fraudulent bank account. The vigilant CFO detected the phishing attempt and prevented the transfer.
Going further into the phishing attempt details, on Saturday afternoon, T. Ramesh Babu, Financial Adviser and Chief Controller of Accounts (R&A) and CFO, TGTRANSCO, Vidyut Soudha, Hyderabad, received a WhatsApp call and messages from the mobile number. The WhatsApp account used the CMD’s photograph as the display picture to spoof the executive’s identity.
Continuing the deception, the scammer sent fraudulent payment instructions, requesting a transfer to an IndusInd Bank account, and shared the beneficiary details over WhatsApp. Sensing something fishy, the CFO verified the messages and discovered the account was compromised and not operated by CMD D. Krishna Bhaskar.
Subsequently, the CFO approached the Kairathabad police of the Hyderabad Commissionerate, complaining that an unknown perpetrator spoofed the CMD’s identity on WhatsApp and attempted to commit financial fraud through deception. Because he recognised the scam, no funds were transferred, and no financial loss occurred. He requested that the police investigate the impersonation and initiate cybercrime proceedings against the culprit.
Based on the complaint, Kairathabad police registered a case and began investigating to identify the beneficiary account holder, trace the digital evidence, and apprehend the fraudster.
