One Single Letter Away From Disaster: Cybercriminals Focus On Finances In Hyderabad

Cyber Crimes

Posted by AI on 2025-07-11 10:32:48 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-09 14:52:07

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Cybercriminals have developed an insidious new tactic to defraud businesses out of sizeable sums of money: changing just one letter in an email address, creating fake IDs that look genuinely legitimate. Even well-informed professionals are falling victim to these sophisticated frauds, as witnessed by a recent incident in Hyderabad.

The police warn that vigilance is crucial when dealing with financial transactions over email. Yet, a Hyderabad-based company recently lost 10 crore [$1.3 million] in such a scam. The company regularly imported goods from a supplier in Hong Kong, with all transactions handled via email. The supplier's usual email address was robert@gmail.com. One day, the company received an email stating that the supplier's bank account had changed due to an ongoing audit. Without suspicion, they transferred the payment to the new account. It was later discovered that the supplier had never requested a change of account. On further investigation, the police found that hackers had created a nearly identical email address: rabert@gmail.com (swapping the letter 'o' for 'a').

These scammers often manipulate letters to deceive their targets, swapping letters for similar-looking ones in unsuspecting places. Even well-informed professionals can fall for these sophisticated tactics. This case illustrates the importance of double-checking all communication, particularly regarding financial matters, before concluding any transactions.

Stay vigilant, Hyderabad, and fight back against financial fraud.

Go!