Former engineer arrested for impersonating a Chennai chemical firm in cyber fraud

CHENNAI: The city Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a former engineer for allegedly defrauding clients by impersonating a well-known city-based company, Sanmar Metrix Metals.

The case was initiated based on a complaint filed in 2024 by Suresh (63), Vice President of the company, located on Cathedral Road. The complaint alleged that a former employee, Prabhu, had created a fake logo of the company, misused its name, and contacted clients via email to fraudulently collect Rs 10,000. He had collected money from more than half a dozen people fraudulently using company's logo, said the police.

Following the complaint, a case was registered at the CCB's Cyber Crime police station.

The investigation revealed that Prabhu (32), from Vellore district, had resigned from the company two years ago. It was confirmed that he had indeed created a counterfeit logo, misused the company's name, and deceived clients for financial gain.

During the search for Prabhu across various districts, it was discovered that he had already been arrested on October 4, 2025, by the Cuddalore Town Police in a separate, similar fraud case targeting the same company from his base in Cuddalore. He was subsequently lodged in the Cuddalore Central Prison.

Based on this information, a special team from the CCB formally arrested Prabhu from the Cuddalore Central Prison on October 16, 2025. The accused was produced before a court on October 17, 2025, and after interrogation, he has been remanded to judicial custody in connection with this case as well