Pune, Sep 10 (IANS): In a shocker, some unknown scamsters have cheated the vaccine giant Serum Institute of India (SII) over at least Rs 1 crore by sending fraudulent messages in the name of its CEO Adar Poonawala seeking money transfers, an official of Bundgarden Police Station said here on Saturday.

The fraud transpired earlier this week and following a complaint, the police had lodged a First Information Report, said the official.

When contacted by IANS, the SII official declined to comment on the matter.

As per the police complaint, an SII director Satish Deshpande received a WhatsApp message purportedly from a person claiming to be Adar Poonawala and seeking the money transfers in installments to certain bank accounts.

Misled by the 'messages' from the CEO, the company officials effected online transfers of around Rs 1.01 crore, only to belatedly realise that they had been gypped as Poonawala never sent such messages or demanded the money.

The SII shot into global fame in 2021 after it launched and manufactured millions of doses of the life-saver Covishield vaccines to combat the Coronavirus pandemic worldwide.