WhatsApp scam

In a major breakthrough, the Cyber Crime Wing of West Bengal Police has successfully recovered Rs 1.31 crore that was fraudulently transferred from a corporate bank account in a recent cyber scam. The total amount defrauded stood at Rs 1.98 crore, and investigations into the remaining sum are ongoing.

The incident occurred on June 25, 2025, when Nikhil Kumar Mahanta, Chief Operating Officer of Haldia Water Services Pvt. Ltd., received a WhatsApp message from a number impersonating the company’s Managing Director.

The message, which used the MD’s display picture and mimicked his communication style, instructed Mahanta to urgently transfer Rs 1.98 crore to a bank account belonging to Slamione IT Solution Pvt. Ltd., a company based in Bangalore.

Believing the message to be genuine, Mahanta authorised the transfer via RTGS to an HDFC Bank account. However, he soon grew suspicious of irregularities in the communication and promptly filed a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, with assistance from the Cyber Crime Wing.

Based on his written complaint, a case was registered, and an FIR lodged by Durgachak police station against an unknown accused under Sections 316 (2) and 318 (4) of BNS. The case was handed over to the West Bengal Cyber Crime Wing for expedited investigation.

A senior official of West Bengal Police told India Today that acting swiftly, the Cyber Crime Wing coordinated with HDFC Bank’s Domlur branch in Bangalore and managed to freeze Rs 1.31 crore of the transferred funds.

Within 13 days of the incident, this amount was successfully refunded to the company’s account. So far, Rs 1.39 crore has been secured as a lien against the defrauded amount.

As part of the investigation, two individuals – Mantu Das and Papai Das, residents of Bamongola in Malda district – have been arrested.

They are accused of providing the SIM card used to impersonate the Managing Director on WhatsApp. Preliminary findings suggest the involvement of an interstate cyber fraud syndicate, according to police sources.

Authorities continue to pursue leads across states to apprehend others involved in what appears to be a sophisticated and organised scam.

– Ends