TL;DR: An accountant at a private company in Visakhapatnam received a WhatsApp message apparently from the managing director instructing an RTGS transfer, and sent ₹80 lakh. The managing director had never sent it. Cyber police traced the money, obtained court orders, and returned ₹70 lakh from frozen accounts. ₹10 lakh remained unrecovered.
What happened in Visakhapatnam
The Times of India reported on January 31, 2026 that an accountant at a private company in Visakhapatnam received a WhatsApp message apparently from the company's managing director. The message instructed him to make an RTGS transfer, and believing it was genuine, he transferred ₹80 lakh.
The company soon realised that the managing director had never sent the instruction.
The recovery
Cyber police investigated the case, traced the money and obtained court orders. They recovered ₹70 lakh from frozen accounts and returned it to the complainant. Although ₹10 lakh remained unrecovered, police intervention saved the victim from losing the entire amount.
A pattern worth building a rule around
This is the same shape as the Hyderabad case in ₹1 crore lost to a fake WhatsApp boss: a trusted name, a payment instruction, and an accountant who acts on it. A simple internal rule closes the gap: no payment on a chat instruction alone, only after a call-back on a known number.
If a transfer has already gone out, report it on 1930 and at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal right away. See the 1930 golden hour explained, how to file a cybercrime complaint in India, and common scams in India in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Visakhapatnam company lose and recover?
The accountant transferred ₹80 lakh and police recovered ₹70 lakh from frozen accounts, leaving ₹10 lakh unrecovered.
How was the transfer requested?
A WhatsApp message apparently from the company's managing director instructed the accountant to make an RTGS transfer.
How did police recover the money?
Cyber police traced the money, obtained court orders, froze accounts and returned ₹70 lakh to the complainant.
How can a company prevent fake boss fraud?
Never pay on a chat instruction alone. Confirm the request by calling the executive on a known number before any transfer.