A 34-year-old man from Mumbai was arrested by the Chandigarh police's cybercrime unit for allegedly duping a city resident of Rs 1.3 crore through an elaborate WhatsApp impersonation scam.
Scammer Poses
As Victim's Employer
The scammer has been identified as Joshua Oscar Nevis. He allegedly posed as the victim's employer. He tricked the victim into transferring the money.
Victim Transfers Money Into Scammer's Account
The victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, according to officials. The accused pretended to be his boss, requesting urgent funds for a project. The complainant believed it was his boss and transferred Rs 1.3 crore into Nevi's ICICI Bank account.
How Did The Scam Come To Light?
The transaction was flagged, and the scam was revealed. On April 20, an FIR was registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police Teams Nab The Scammer
On August 13, the police teams led by SP Cyber Crime Geetanjali Khandelwal tracked Nevis to Mumbai and arrested him. Nevis admitted to handing over his banking instruments and SIM card to contacts on Telegram during interrogation. They were misused in the scam. Further investigation is underway, and authorities suspect the involvement of a wider network.
Cyber Crime Unit Issues Warning
The Cyber Crime unit has warned the public against such impersonation schemes. They have advised people not to transfer money for "verification" to avoid arrest or to resolve fabricated cases. Through local police or the Cyber Crime Helpline, citizens have been asked to cross-check suspicious requests.
Cyber Crime Complaints Rise
According to NDTV, "The number of cybercrime complaints has spiked similarly; nearly twenty lakh were reported in 2024, up from around 15.6 lakh the year before and ten times more than were logged in 2019."
Where Do Scammers Strike?
On WhatsApp, more often than not. I4C data says over 15,000 finance-related cybercrime complaints were reported on WhatsApp alone in January 2024. Around 14,000 were reported in February and another 15,000 in March. Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube were also on that list.
