Sun Mar 16 17:18:03 UTC 2025: **HAL Loses $63,000 in Cyber Fraud After Email Deception**
**Kanpur, India –** Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has fallen victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud, resulting in a loss of approximately $63,000 (Rs 55 lakh). The incident, which came to light in March, involved a seemingly simple oversight with devastating consequences.
According to Kanpur police, HAL’s Additional General Manager, Ashok Kumar Singh, filed a complaint on March 13th detailing how the company was defrauded while procuring parts for fighter aircraft. In May 2024, HAL initiated communication with US-based PS Engineering Incorporated to purchase three aircraft parts. However, a fraudulent email account, almost identical to the legitimate PS Engineering address—differing only by a single missing letter “e”—was introduced into the correspondence.
This subtle change allowed the perpetrators to intercept communications and redirect a payment of $63,000 intended for PS Engineering to a fraudulent account. The fraud was discovered only when the legitimate vendor confirmed they had not received the payment. An investigation is now underway to determine whether the fraud originated from another US-based entity or an Indian-based operation. A case has been registered under the IT Act. Police are currently investigating the source of the fraudulent email and the ultimate destination of the stolen funds.
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