Panchkula Mayor duped of Rs 42.5 lakh in cyber fraud

An FIR was registered today at the Panchkula cyber cell police station after a high-profile fraud case came to light, involving city’s Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal. The Mayor was defrauded of over Rs 42 lakh in a meticulously planned scam that targeted his trust, identity and banking protocols.

According to initial investigations, fraudsters impersonated Goyal’s relatives using a cloned WhatsApp profile and tricked officials from Punjab and Sind Bank into processing a large fund transfer. A forged letter, allegedly bearing Mayor’s signatures, was sent to bank officials, instructing them to transfer funds to specific accounts. The signatures, though fake, closely resembled that of Goyal and were enough to convince bank officials to proceed.

The scammers lured bank personnel with a promise of Rs 1 crore investment. Reports reveal that the bank failed to verify letter’s authenticity or confirm transaction with the Mayor’s office before acting on instructions. Mayor Goyal, while expressing hope of recovering funds soon, called the incident “shocking”. Goyal said he never gave instructions for transferring funds.