When it is better to ignore messages from your boss

Beware of the new con in town -- the scam cyber experts have named 'CEO fraud'.

It starts with you getting a message, seemingly from your boss or your superior at work, but not from his/her normal number.

Be very careful when you receive such a message.


In the week following Durga Puja, there have been several reported cases, with four leading to FIRs filed by the Kolkata Police (KP) and Bidhannagar Police. Victims, primarily salaried individuals, fell prey the scam. Scamsters sent phishing links via WhatsApp, posing as the victims' bosses and including the bosses' photos alongside phone numbers.

One victim, an employee of an IT firm, received such a message while en route to the office. Recounting her experience, she said she got a message from her CEO, who purportedly was in the US. The message instructed her to purchase gift cards online and share the codes. The message said the boss can't call because he was at a meeting. The loss incurred by the victim: Rs 80,000.

In the scam, fraudsters manipulate company email accounts and WhatsApp numbers to impersonate senior execs. The aim is to deceive employees into making unauthorized transactions or divulging confidential information, such as tax details, under the false pretense of orders from higher-ups.

According to a KP cyber cell officer, these fraudsters engage in 'Spear Phishing,' meticulously researching victims' online profiles before executing their schemes. In this targeted approach, phishing emails or WhatsApp messages are directed at specific individuals or small groups within the same service, often incorporating personal details to enhance the deception.