Udupi: An accounts manager at Manipal Technologies Ltd has lodged a complaint stating that the company was duped of Rs 1 crore through a fraudulent email that claimed a change in bank account details for lease payment.According to the complaint filed by the chief accounts manager, the company used machinery belonging to Equiflex Private Ltd on lease and made quarterly payments to the firm’s HDFC Bank account. Four instalments were already paid, and the fifth instalment of Rs 1,04,16,229 was due.On Oct 11, an email was sent to the company’s official email ID by Equiflex requesting the pending payment by Oct 15. However, on Oct 13, at 4.21am, another email allegedly from the company informed them that the bank account had changed and instructed them to transfer the payment to a particular bank account. Believing the email to be genuine, the company transferred the amount via NEFT on Oct 15. However, on Oct 29, Equiflex Pvt Ltd informed them that they had not received any payment, following which the company realised they had been defrauded.It is alleged that unidentified fraudsters impersonated Equiflex Pvt Ltd using a fake email ID, misled the company, and siphoned off Rs 1 crore. A case has been registered at CEN police station under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Sections 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 318(4) of the BNS.
