Two individuals were apprehended in Mysuru and Bengaluru in connection with a sophisticated cyber fraud case in which ₹80 lakh was fraudulently siphoned from a private company. The incident came to light when Pranadarthiharan, a 59-year-old senior manager from Nungambakkam, received a WhatsApp message he believed to be from the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Krishnamoorthy Suresh. In this message, the impostor directed him to transfer the substantial sum to a bank account associated with SIRI Enterprises.
Trusting the message’s authenticity and skipping any verification, Pranadarthiharan proceeded with the transfer. It was only after reaching out to the actual CEO regarding the transaction that he learned of the deception; Suresh had not sent any such message nor made any requests for money. Realizing he had fallen victim to a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) cyber fraud scheme, Pranadarthiharan promptly reported the incident to the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner on October 22.
The Central Crime Branch, specializing in cybercrime, took over the investigation and unearthed crucial details about the fraudulent activities. Upon tracking the stolen funds, they found that ₹5,48,301 had been deposited into the State Bank of India account of Mohammed Arbaz, a 21-year-old resident of Mysuru, and later withdrawn using cheques. Furthermore, ₹10,00,000 was traced to the Bank of Baroda account of another 21-year-old, Hasheer Akthar, also from Mysuru, which was entirely withdrawn via cheques.
Following these discoveries, a cybercrime police team traveled to both Mysuru and Bengaluru to arrest Arbaz and Akthar. Authorities revealed during the investigation that Arbaz had prior complaints lodged against him in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, where he allegedly facilitated money from various online frauds to be deposited into his account, which he would then withdraw and exchange for commission. He had become a key player in aiding cyber criminals involved in the MitM scam by operating mule accounts.
In contrast, Hasheer Akthar was found to have knowingly participated in the illicit activities by allowing his own bank accounts to be employed for receiving and transferring funds, even going as far as creating counterfeit firms and opening mule accounts. His actions contributed significantly to the cyber fraud landscape, as he received commissions for these services, further complicating the investigation.
This case sheds light on the growing prevalence of cyber fraud in India and highlights the need for vigilance in digital communications. As technology advances, cyber criminals become increasingly sophisticated, using inventive methods to defraud unsuspecting victims. Law enforcement agencies continue to urge the public to verify information cautiously and remain aware of the signs of potential scams.
With the arrests of Arbaz and Akthar, authorities aim to dismantle networks of cybercrime and bring those involved to justice, reinforcing the importance of security in online transactions. As of now, investigations are ongoing to identify any additional perpetrators linked to this fraudulent scheme and prevent future incidents.
Published – January 12, 2026, 07:40 pm IST
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/two-held-in-man-in-the-middle-cyber-fraud-case/article70501124.ece
Category : Chennai
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Publish Date: 2026-01-12 19:40:00
