A Mumbai-based furniture firm was duped of nearly Rs 89.34 lakh in a sophisticated email spoofing scam, prompting a cyber police investigation into suspected cross-border fraud.
According to the complaint, the company had been regularly dealing with a Belgium-based supplier and had already made an advance payment after receiving legitimate communication. However, fraudsters created a lookalike email ID mimicking the supplier and sent altered bank details to the firm. Trusting the email to be genuine, the company transferred a large sum to the fraudulent account.
The scam came to light when the original supplier informed the firm that no such payment had been received. Authorities suspect an international cybercrime network, as the fraudulent communication closely replicated official correspondence.
The Central Region Cyber Police have registered a case and are tracing the financial trail. The incident highlights the rising risks of business email compromise scams targeting companies engaged in international trade.
