Cyber Fraud Alert In Pune: Khalumbre-Based Tissue Paper Company Duped Of Rs 28.78 Lakh In Email Spoofing ScamÂ
Pune: Four IT Employees Booked For Stealing Data, Causing ₹82 Crore Loss To Hinjewadi FirmÂ
A tissue paper manufacturing company in Khalumbre fell prey to an elaborate online scam, losing Rs 28.78 lakh through sophisticated email spoofing. The fraudulent activity transpired between November 11 and December 1 last year. The company reported the incident to the cyber crime cell of the Pimpri Chinchwad police, leading to a formal case being lodged with the Mahalunge MIDC police under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
An officer from the Mahalunge MIDC police provided insights into the scam, revealing that the company had placed an order for tissue papers from a Bangladeshi supplier. The fraudsters exploited the supplier’s identity by generating fake bills in the supplier’s name and sending them through an email address that closely mimicked the legitimate supplier’s email.
The counterfeit emails contained banking details and solicited payment from the Khalumbre-based company. Trusting the authenticity of the emails, the company transferred Rs 28.78 lakh to the specified bank account. It was only later discovered that the funds had been sent to a private account in Sharjah, UAE, rather than the supplier’s account.
This incident is reminiscent of another recent case in Pune, where a real estate developer was swindled out of Rs 4 crore through a whale phishing scam. In that instance, scammers impersonated the company’s chairperson and managing director, tricking a senior accounts officer into transferring significant sums of money over the course of a week.
Email spoofing, a technique that involves sending emails with a forged sender address, is a common method used in phishing attacks and spam distribution. To counteract such threats, companies must implement robust email security frameworks. The consequences of falling victim to email spoofing can be severe, including financial loss, diminished customer trust, credit card fraud, utility fraud, and even leaks of sensitive data on the dark web.
To avoid such scams, it’s crucial to carefully examine email headers and verify the authenticity of display names and email domains. Messages that create a sense of urgency, especially those requesting wire transfers, gift cards, or confidential information, should always be verified through a secondary channel such as a phone call or chat before proceeding with any transactions.
