A corporate health company seeking investors lost more than Rs 2 crore in a phishing scam orchestrated by an international hacker. The perpetrator, posing as the corporate communications manager of a Singapore-based firm interested in investing in the company, reached out to the latter’s owner via Telegram and requested certain details and sent a seemingly innocuous link. However, when the complainant clicked on the link, it resulted in the unauthorised transfer of Rs 2.20 crore from the complainant’s cryptocurrency wallet.

The proprietor of the health company, who also happens to be a chartered accountant, reported the incident to the Maharashtra Cyber police station. A specialised team has been formed to investigate how the complainant’s cryptocurrency details were compromised.  These links often lead to phishing websites designed to steal personal information, including login credentials, credit card data and debit card details. “Despite repeated police advisories cautioning against clicking on suspicious links, people continue to fall victim to such scams,” a police officer said.