Naresh Gujral, son of former prime minister IK Gujral and a former Rajya Sabha member, has allegedly been defrauded of Rs 7.68 crore in a cyber fraud in which scammers reportedly impersonated him and tricked his company's chief financial officer (CFO) into transferring funds through multiple RTGS transactions.
Following a complaint by Gujral, the case was transferred to the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit, which investigates cybercrime cases.
“On the complaint of Naresh Gujral, an FIR was registered on June 16. Immediate action was taken and an amount of Rs 4.28 crore out of the total defrauded amount of Rs 7.68 crore has been marked as lien/hold in various banks. Efforts are being made to apprehend the persons involved in the fraud,” deputy commissioner of police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar told Hindustan Times.
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How the fraud unfolded
According to police, the scam took place between June 12 and 16 after fraudsters gained access to Gujral's WhatsApp account and used it to impersonate him.
Gujral runs a company in Okhla, south Delhi, involved in manufacturing textile, leather and apparel products. Investigators said the company's CFO, Shubham Singh, received a WhatsApp message on June 12 from a number displaying Gujral's profile picture.
The sender allegedly instructed Singh to transfer money through RTGS transactions. Believing the message had come from Gujral, the CFO reportedly transferred Rs 7.68 crore through four separate RTGS transactions, reported HT.
An initial investigation suggested that the fraudsters hacked the WhatsApp account, posed as Gujral and convinced the employee that the transfers were genuine.
Scam discovered days later
Police said the transferred funds were routed through three to four bank accounts. According to investigators, nearly 70 per cent of the amount has been frozen so far.
The transactions reportedly did not raise immediate suspicion because the employee believed they were part of routine business operations. However, the bank flagged the unusually large transfers.
The fraud came to light on June 16 when Singh reportedly became suspicious and informed Gujral's daughter. After she checked with her father, he denied issuing any such instructions.
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That conversation revealed that the company had fallen victim to a cyber fraud operation. Delhi Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest those responsible.
FAQs:
How much money was allegedly lost in the Naresh Gujral cyber fraud?
The alleged fraud involved Rs 7.68 crore transferred through four RTGS transactions.
How much of the defrauded amount has been frozen so far?
Delhi Police said Rs 4.28 crore has been marked as lien or put on hold in various banks.
