Navi Mumbai: Kerala Contractor Arrested In ₹62 Lakh Fake Boss Fraud; Bank Account Linked To 6 Cybercrime Complaints

Navi Mumbai: A construction contractor from Kerala, who allegedly provided his bank account to cybercriminals after suffering financial losses, has been arrested by the Navi Mumbai Cyber Police for his alleged role in a Rs 62 lakh ‘fake boss’ fraud. The police said the accused was aware of the criminal activity and was in contact with other cybercriminals, but was not the person who called the complainant while impersonating the company owner.

The accused, Shameer T P, a resident of Kannur district in Kerala, was arrested on October 3 and is now in judicial custody. Following his arrest, the police checked the account details through the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) portal and found that the bank account had been used in connection with other cybercrime cases registered in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Senior Police Inspector Vishal Patil of the Navi Mumbai Cyber Police Station said the accused was previously engaged in construction contracting but had been facing financial difficulties after allegedly being cheated by his business partner. Someone subsequently suggested that he could earn quick money by providing his bank account to cybercriminals.

“The accused was facing financial difficulties after being cheated by his business partner. He was allegedly advised to provide his bank account to cybercriminals in return for quick money. He was aware of the criminal activity and was in contact with other cybercriminals,” Patil said.

He clarified that the person who contacted the complainant to carry out the fraud was different from the arrested accused. “The person who called the complainant and posed as the company owner on WhatsApp was a different individual. The arrested accused’s role was to provide the bank account through which the money was transferred,” Patil said.

According to the police, a preliminary investigation indicates that the accused had been involved in such activities for around six months.

The case relates to a fraud reported between August 19 and August 31, this year, in which a company was allegedly cheated of Rs 62 lakh. The fraudster impersonated the company owner on WhatsApp and contacted an employee, gaining the latter’s trust to facilitate the transfer of money.

During the investigation, the police found that Rs 32 lakh of the defrauded amount had been credited to an IndusInd Bank account. Analysis of the transactions led the police to Kannur, Kerala, where Shameer was traced and arrested.

The police said the bank account had been registered using a fake company address. A check through the NCRB portal revealed that the account had been linked to six cybercrime complaints from different states, including cases registered in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

The police are investigating further links associated with the accused, including his possible involvement in other cybercrime cases and the movement of the defrauded money.

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