In a chilling reminder of how sophisticated cyber frauds have become, an Ahmedabad-based company, Jagat Agrotech Private Limited, was duped of Rs 60 lakh after receiving a fake email impersonating the Income Tax Department. The elaborate scam, which unfolded in September, combined phishing, malware infiltration and WhatsApp manipulation to deceive the company's accountant into authorising a large bank transfer.
Fraudsters Posed as Income Tax Officials
According to the FIR filed at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Ahmedabad City, the fraud began on September 9, when Jagat Agrotech's official email account received a message purportedly from the Government of India's Ministry of Finance and Income Tax Department.
The email-written in both Hindi and English, claimed that "irregularities" were found in the company's tax filings and directed it to submit supporting documents within 72 hours. It contained a link to "download" official communication from the tax department.
Believing the email to be genuine, Anish Kumar, the company's accountant and tax consultant, clicked the link several times. Unknown to him, the link contained malware that gave the fraudsters remote access to his computer system.
WhatsApp Account Compromised
Investigators revealed that after infecting the system, the cybercriminals infiltrated the accountant's WhatsApp Web account and manipulated his contact list. They replaced the director's phone number that of Prahladbhai Rathi, the company's director, with a fraudster's number, saved under the same name.
On September 25, Anish Kumar received a WhatsApp message from this spoofed contact, instructing him to transfer Rs 60 lakh from the company's Union Bank account to an account held by FYT Flyutravel Private Limited at Bank of Baroda.
Believing the message to be a genuine directive from his employer, Kumar prepared an official letter authorising the transfer, and the bank executed the payment the same day.
Fraud Discovered a Day Later
The deception came to light the following day when the real director, Prahladbhai Rathi, contacted the accountant via WhatsApp regarding a separate Rs 3.7 crore transaction. The inconsistency between the two conversations raised suspicion. Upon verification, Rathi denied having instructed any Rs 60 lakh transfer.
Further inspection revealed that the earlier WhatsApp messages were sent by the impersonator, and the chat history had been tampered with to hide traces of manipulation.
Cybercrime Complaint and Police Action
Realising the fraud, Anish Kumar immediately contacted the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) and later lodged a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station on October 9.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to cheating, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy.
Digital evidence, including the fraudulent emails and WhatsApp messages, has been preserved for forensic examination. A senior cybercrime official confirmed that efforts are underway to trace the IP address of the sender and track the beneficiary bank account where the funds were transferred.
Rising Threat of Cyber Impersonation
This case highlights a growing trend of cybercriminals impersonating government agencies, particularly the Income Tax Department, to defraud businesses and individuals. Authorities have urged taxpayers to verify official communications only through government domains ending in @incometax.gov.in and to avoid clicking on suspicious links.
Citizens are advised to report cyber frauds immediately by calling the 1930 helpline or visiting cybercrime.gov.in for prompt action.
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