Pune Police Nab Woman Suspected of Running Rs 4 Crore Phishing Scheme Against Builder
Pune Police Nab Woman Suspected of Running Rs 4 Crore Phishing Scheme Against Builder
The Pune City Police successfully apprehended Saniya Mustakim Siddique, a 21-year-old woman involved in a cyber fraud case, after she escaped custody earlier this year while being transported from Rajasthan to Pune. Siddique was linked to a Rs 4 crore whaling phishing scam that targeted a builder in Pune. She was initially arrested in Faridabad in February but managed to flee during the transfer.
Following a coordinated search, the police tracked her down in Bihar. “We were following her, but she kept changing her phone numbers and locations, making it hard to find her,” said an officer from the Cyber Crime Police Station. With new leads, teams were sent to New Delhi and Bihar, ultimately discovering she was hiding in Gopalganj.
On December 15, a special team disguised as locals in Lohar Patti village monitored her movements and seized the chance to arrest her. When she realized the police were closing in, Siddique attempted to escape by climbing onto the roof and jumping off. “She tried to run away, but our team quickly chased her down and caught her,” the officer added. She has now been returned to Pune, where a local court has placed her in police custody until December 23.
DCP Vivel Masal provided more details about the suspect. “Saniya, also known as ‘Gudia,’ comes from a humble background in Gopalganj. After leaving school, she became involved in a cybercrime operation, where she mainly handled the acquisition and management of mule accounts for the criminals,” Masal stated. “We are currently looking into her connections and trying to identify her accomplices.”
Saniya was arrested in February for her involvement in a whaling phishing scheme that targeted a well-known real estate company in Pune in late January. The cybercriminals pretended to be the company’s chairman and managing director, deceiving the senior accounts officer into transferring 18 large sums of money, totaling Rs 4 crore, into fake bank accounts. The Deputy General Manager (Accounts) of the real estate company reported the scam to the Cyber Crime Police Station.
