KANPUR, March 15 -- The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Kanpur, has fallen victim to a cyber fraud amounting to Rs.55 lakh. The state-owned company had placed an order for fighter jet parts from an American firm. However, cybercriminals, using an email ID resembling that of the original supplier, manipulated transaction details and redirected the payment to their own account, an FIR lodged by HAL on Saturday read.

The fraud came to light when HAL did not receive the ordered parts, despite making the payment last year. Upon realising the deception, HAL Kanpur's additional general manager, Ashok Kumar Singh, filed a report at the Cyber Police Station.

According to the report, HAL often requires parts to be imported from overseas. The...