Even a corporation with adequate manpower and cutting-edge technology to carry out proper checks and balances can fall victim to online deception. This is precisely what happened with the Apex Cricket Council.
The Apex Cricket Council has been defrauded four times in recent years of nearly $ 2.5 million (Rs. 20 crores) paid online. Until Thursday, the authorities at cricket’s world governing body’s Dubai office had no idea they were the victims of an online fraud.
The officials remain silent on the matter, citing an ongoing investigation, but TOI can confirm that payments were made to a party based in the United States who claimed to be an Apex Cricket Council vendor. The fraudsters used an email address that appeared to be familiar to Apex Cricket Council.
The scam caught the board members off guard. The sum, close to $ 2.5 million, is a large sum for Associate nations affiliated with the Council, if not for a full member, and an official from an Associate nation expressed disappointment.
“I cannot imagine it has happened in the ICC,” the member from Europe said. “An ODI Associate 13-20 ranked can get anything between 500,000 to one million,” he added.
The matter is being investigated internally and externally, with the finance department coming under intense scrutiny for how its staff was so clueless as to have released payments four times without due diligence.
In the meantime, Twitter was shocked at the incident of Apex Cricket Council falling prey to such a scam.” @ICC is no different from any person giving OTPs to others. The Anti corruption body of ICC needs to investigate them itself,” a user said. “Bhai yeh kya ho raha hai udhar Usain bolt ke 100cr chale gaye idhar ICC ke 20cr…” another user wrote.
Here is how Twitter reacted to this
Hahahaha thug life eveywhere
— dhanni24 (@dhanboy24) January 20, 2023
Bhai yeh kya ho raha hai udhar Usain bolt ke 100cr chale gaye idhar ICC ke 20cr… pic.twitter.com/AuXNMWkf8U
— Banna. (@iJaideep_) January 20, 2023
ICC when they got to know that they have been looted. pic.twitter.com/PQT2UlUoZM
— ????? ???? (@Anmol_Gote_) January 20, 2023
Then they fined 60% match fees to indian team for recovery ?
— SuryaVirat (@Sudhir44612324) January 20, 2023
ICC rn: pic.twitter.com/Vz6dMEJaGN
— ?Gourav Chaudhary ?? (@Gourav855) January 20, 2023
Iska bhai hoga pic.twitter.com/6iIpdhNG7D
— Sajal?? (@dhooomachale) January 20, 2023
Wasting Bcci money ?????
— Harsh Prasad (@HarshPrasad0904) January 20, 2023
Pakka CFO ka bhi cut hoga isme. Aise 4 baar kaise ho skta hai.
— Mritunjay Dubey (@mddubey409) January 20, 2023
@ICC is no different from any person giving OTPs to others. The Anti corruption body of ICC needs to investigate them itself.
— Saket Gupta (@gupta_saket) January 20, 2023
???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??
— Professor ngl ???? ???? ?? (@GaurangBhardwa1) January 20, 2023
