Nagpur: A city-based company was allegedly duped of ₹98 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud after fraudsters sent a fake fund transfer instruction to the firm’s accountant while impersonating the company’s director. The Cyber Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

According to police sources, the accountant received a message on his laptop directing him to transfer ₹98 lakh to a specified bank account. The message appeared to have been sent by the company’s director.

Investigators said the accountant’s mobile phone was linked to his laptop, and cybercriminals allegedly exploited this connection to send the fraudulent message. Believing the instruction to be genuine, the accountant transferred the amount on Tuesday afternoon.

The accountant reportedly did not suspect anything amiss because the company’s director was on a business trip to Japan at the time. Assuming that the transfer was related to official work, he processed the payment without independently verifying the request.

The fraud came to light on Wednesday when the director did not make any inquiry regarding the transfer. When the accountant informed him about the transaction, the director clarified that he had never sent any message or authorised any fund transfer.

Police suspect that cybercriminals compromised the communication link between the accountant’s mobile phone and laptop, enabling them to impersonate the director and issue the fake payment instruction.

Following the complaint filed by the company, the Nagpur Cyber Police Station registered a case. Under the supervision of Police Inspector Sudhir Borkute, an investigation has been initiated to trace the accused and recover the defrauded amount.

Cyber Safety Advisory

Police have urged companies and financial officers to verify all high-value fund transfer requests through a secondary channel, such as a phone call or video confirmation, especially when instructions are received electronically and involve senior management personnel travelling abroad.