Cyber police recover ₹1.62 crore in fraud case:International horse rider money refunded after fake email scam targeting purchase

The Madhya Pradesh Cyber Police have successfully prevented a ₹1.62 crore cyber fraud targeting an international horse rider from Indore, recovering the entire amount within 24 hours by freezing the scammer’s bank account. According to the Cyber Police, the athlete belongs to the Hazela family of Indore and is preparing for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan in September–October 2026. Fake email led to transfer of ₹1.62 crore The rider was in the process of purchasing a horse from Danish company HELGSTRAND DRESSAGE and had already transferred 45% of the payment to the company’s authorised bank account. However, on May 29, 2026, fraudsters allegedly created a fake email ID impersonating the company’s director, Andreas Helgstrand, and sent an email instructing her to transfer the remaining payment to a different bank account. Believing the email to be genuine, the athlete transferred ₹1.62 crore to a scam account at JP Morgan Bank. Cyber Police froze account, secured refund After receiving the complaint, Cyber SP Savyasachi Saraf directed his team to take immediate action. The Cyber Police promptly got the scammer’s JP Morgan Bank account frozen and sent a legal notice to the bank through the department’s official email. As a result, the entire ₹1.62 crore was successfully refunded to the complainant’s bank account by June 30, 2026. Athlete had faced similar fraud earlier This is the second time the same athlete has been targeted in a cyber fraud. In November–December 2025, the Cyber Cell had also helped recover ₹3.75 crore lost in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud involving the same athlete.