NEW DELHI: Chandigarh Police’s Cyber Crime unit arrested a 34-year-old man from Mumbai for allegedly defrauding a city resident of Rs1.3 crore through an elaborate WhatsApp impersonation scam. The accused, identified as Joshua Oscar Nevis, allegedly posed as the victim’s employer and tricked him into transferring the money.
Fraud via WhatsApp Impersonation
According to officials, the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number where the sender pretended to be his boss, requesting urgent funds for a project. Believing it to be genuine, the complainant transferred Rs 1.3 crore into Nevis’s ICICI Bank account. The fraud came to light after the transaction was flagged, leading to the registration of an FIR on April 20 under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Police teams led by SP Cyber Crime Geetanjali Khandelwal tracked Nevis to Mumbai, where he was arrested on August 13. During interrogation, he admitted to handing over his banking instruments and SIM card to contacts on Telegram, which were then misused in the scam. Authorities suspect a wider network is involved, and further investigation is underway.The Cyber Crime unit has warned the public against such impersonation schemes, advising people not to transfer money for “verification,” to avoid arrest, or to resolve fabricated cases. Citizens have been urged to cross-check suspicious requests through local police or the Cyber Crime Helpline.
