Cybercriminals hack south Mumbai firm’s email, cheat them of Rs 5 lakh

Cybercriminals hacked into the email conversations a Marine Lines pharmaceutical firm exchanged with a US company, used the information in the mails, created a similar ID and duped the Mumbai firm of Rs 5 lakh.

Cybercriminals hacked into the email conversations a Marine Lines pharmaceutical firm exchanged with a US company, used the information in the mails, created a similar ID and duped the Mumbai firm of Rs 5 lakh.

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Through the emails, the accused found out the Mumbai company had ordered for medical equipment. They then created a fake ID by flipping just one letter of the US company’s ID.

The complainant, Kamlesh Gandhi, is an employee of the pharmaceutical firm. He told the police his company placed an order for a medical machine with the Analogical Institute in US. Once this was delivered, the city firm placed an order for another machine.

“A few days later, they got an email saying the machine was ready to be delivered. The mail asked Gandhi’s firm to deposit money in another bank account,” said a police officer.

The firm did not notice that this email had come from the fake ID and made a payment of $8,395 (around Rs 5lakh). The moment the transaction was complete, the accused withdrew the money from a bank in Canada, the police said.

Gandhi’s firm realised they were duped when, a few days after they transferred the money, the US firm called up asking why the payment had not been made.

The MRA Marg police are probing the case. “The money was deposited in a Canada bank account. The accused hacked the email conversation between the two firms,” said assistant inspector S Sawant, of the MRA Marg police station. “We have registered a case under sections relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act,” he said.