72-year-old accountant loses ₹1.9 crore in WhatsApp DP scam after fraudster poses as company director | Representative pic
Mumbai: Falling prey to WhatsApp display picture (DP) fraud, an accountant of a private company transferred Rs 1.9 crore to a scammer, who used the photo of the company director to trick the employee.
According to the police, the 72-year-old complainant is a resident of Pune. He said that on March 6, his account manager received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, which had his photos as the DP. Impersonating as the company director, the scammer told the manager that it was his new phone number.
Subsequently, the fraudster directed him to urgently transfer Rs 1.9 crore, saying that the company has bagged a new project and needs funds for the same, said the complainant. The manager sent the whopping amount to the beneficiary account, whose details were provided by the scammer.
Later, the fraudster asked for another Rs 3 crore and when the manager said that the company lacked sufficient funds, he was told to break the fixed deposit, said the complainant. He added that the manager sensed something amiss and then contacted him on his old number, narrating the entire episode.
