Pune News: Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Police Arrest Accused In Rs 1.95 Crore CEO Fraud Within 24 Hours
Pune News: Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Police Arrest Accused In Rs 1.95 Crore CEO Fraud Within 24 Hours
In a significant breakthrough, Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Police arrested an accused within 24 hours from Surat in a CEO fraud case involving a Pune-based company, where Rs 1.95 crore was fraudulently transferred. The police successfully held Rs 1 crore from the scammed amount.
The fraud occurred when an unknown individual contacted the accountant of a company in Bhosari MIDC using a fake WhatsApp number 8196815735, impersonating the company’s director with his photo and name. The fraudster claimed urgent payment was needed for a project and instructed the accountant to transfer Rs 1.95 crore to the RBL Bank Ltd., held in the name of Al Software Solutions.
Once the real company director was informed, they realized the fraud and the accountant immediately filed a complaint at the Cyber Police Station. On 15/05/2025, an FIR (22/2025) was registered under IPC Sections 316(2), 318(4), 3(5) and Information Technology Act (Amended) Sections 66C and 66D.
Given the large financial fraud and to prevent further such crimes, Police Commissioner Mr. Vinaykumar Chaube instructed a thorough investigation. Under the guidance of DCP (Crime) Swapna Gore and ACP (Crime-1) Dr. Vishal Hire, Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale led the investigation with teams led by Sub-Inspector Pravin Swami and Assistant Sub-Inspector Prakash Katkade.
During the probe, the team traced the fund trail and discovered that the defrauded money had been split across various accounts and was being withdrawn from Kamrej, Surat (Gujarat). A team was dispatched to Surat, where they accessed bank CCTV footage and other leads to identify and apprehend Jenil Vasantbhai Vaghela (22), a resident of 11 Maliratna Society, Nansal Road, Kamrej, Surat.
During interrogation, Vaghela confessed to committing the crime along with accomplices Prince Vinodbhai Patel and Nakul Khimane. He was arrested on 16/05/2025 at 12:25 PM, and further investigation into the fraudulent transactions is underway. So far, Rs 1 crore has been successfully held in connection to the case.
The operation was executed under the leadership of Police Commissioner Vinaykumar Chaube, Joint CP Dr. Shashikant Mahavarkar, Addl. CP Vasant Pardeshi, and DCP Ms. Swapna Gore, along with ACP Dr. Vishal Hire. The team included PI Ravikiran Nale, PSI Pravin Swami, API Katkade, and officers Atul Lokhande, Shrikant Kabule, Swapnil Khanse, Saurabh Ghate, Deepak Bhosale, Nitesh Bicchewar, WPCs Jayashree Wakhare, Smita Patil, Jyoti Sale, Mahesh Motkar, Pritam Bhalerao, Nilesh Deshmukh, Suranjan Chavan, Pankaj Dhote, Santosh Sapkal, Madhav Arote, Shubhangi Dhoble, and Dipali Chavan.
Precautions To Avoid Such Frauds:
- Always verify emails, WhatsApp or Skype messages claiming to be from senior company officials.
- Cybercriminals often create email IDs resembling official company domains.
- Verify email domains and confirm that communication is from the official company server (e.g., domain – @companyname.com).
- Cross-check mobile numbers and emails mentioned in suspicious messages with known contact details of company officials.
- For foreign transactions, always consult with the company’s legal team, headquarters, or senior management.
- If you suspect such fraud, immediately report it to the nearest police station or call the helpline.
Report cyber frauds at: www.cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
