Mumbai: A 54-year-old senior accountant recently lodged a police complaint stating that a fraudster had impersonated his company’s director and instructed him to send Rs 1.95 crore for a project. The fraudster used the photograph of the director as the WhatsApp display picture (DP) in order to trick the victim, the complaint said.

According to the police, the complainant hails from Nagpur. On December 30, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number identifying himself as the director of the company. The imposter said that it was his new WhatsApp number. He then enquired about the balance in the company’s bank account.

On January 2, the complainant again received a WhatsApp message from that number. The imposter told him that he was in a meeting and required an urgent transfer of Rs 1.95 crore for a project. The complainant was aware that the company’s director had gone for a meeting in Mumbai. He transferred Rs 1.95 crore into the bank account, details of which were given by the imposter.

The victim then told another director of the company about the funds transfer. The other director said she was not aware of any such urgent requirement. The complainant then realised that someone had induced him to transfer the funds.

A case has been registered by the cyber police under sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.