A conman cheated a 57-year-old software engineer and made away with ₹98,000 after hacking into a WhatsApp account.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when B.G. Srinath, resident of HSR Layout, received a WhatsApp message from a friend living in the U.S. seeking emergency financial help. Considering the sensitivity of the message, Mr. Srinath transferred the money through Google Pay to a Central Bank of India account. Soon after, Mr. Srinath got another message seeking more money. Suspecting something amiss, Mr. Srinath called his friend and found that his WhatsApp account had been hacked and someone was misusing it.
A senior police officer said that Mr. Srinath could have saved the money if he had contacted his friend before transferring the money. Based on a complaint, the police registered a case against unknown persons under IT Act, 2000, and also for impersonation and cheating. The police advised people to cross-check before acting on any emergency financial requests online.
