Fraudster uses fake Navi Mumbai police mail id to direct banks to freeze accounts

In a troubling case that highlights the growing threat of cyber impersonation and misuse of digital identities, a fraudster recently posed as an official from the Navi Mumbai Police Cyber Cell and succeeded in manipulating banks to freeze customer accounts using a spoofed email address. This alarming development has brought renewed focus to the urgent need for stronger verification protocols and cybersecurity vigilance in the financial sector.

According to officials, the fraudulent activity came to light only when one of the affected banks decided to verify the legitimacy of an email it had received—an email that instructed the bank to freeze a specific customer account. The bank reached out to the actual cyber cell for confirmation. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the email was fake and had not originated from any official police or government domain.

The fraudster had reportedly created an email ID that closely resembled that of the Navi Mumbai Police, lending credibility to the communication. Using this fake identity, the individual sent multiple emails to various banks, instructing them to take action against specific accounts under the pretense of official investigation.

An FIR has been registered under Sections 318(1) (cheating), 336 (forgery), and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Authorities are working to trace the individual(s) behind the fake email ID and assess the full impact of the fraudulent instructions sent to financial institutions.