Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma exposed a scammer impersonating him on WhatsApp. The fraudster, unaware he was messaging the real CEO, tried to extract company financial details, resulting in an amusing social media exchange that highlighted ongoing digital fraud risks.
In a bizarre and humorous twist, Paytm’s Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma recently revealed how a digital fraudster attempted to impersonate him on WhatsApp — only to end up messaging the real Vijay Shekhar Sharma himself.
Sharing screenshots of the interaction on the social media platform X, Sharma highlighted the scammer’s clumsy efforts to trick him by posing as the CEO of the payments giant. The fraudster started by claiming to be “Vijay Shekhar Sharma” and asked the CEO to save his “new WhatsApp number,” hoping to create credibility and possibly extract sensitive information.
The scammer wrote: “I am Vijay Shekhar Sharma. This is my new WhatsApp. Please save it.”
What followed was a humorous back-and-forth, with Sharma responding politely but skeptically. When the scammer asked Sharma to check the company’s accounts and reveal the available funds, the CEO played along, turning the tables on the impersonator.
At one point, the fraudster tried to gather information about the person “on duty” in Paytm’s finance department. However, Sharma cleverly steered the conversation, effectively exposing the scam without falling victim to it.
This unusual incident quickly caught the attention of social media users, who found the exchange entertaining and shared memes about the situation. Industry figures also chimed in—Capitalmind AMC CEO Deepak Shenoy humorously requested a “Part 2” of the conversation, while CoinDCX co-founder Sumit Gupta gave the fraudster “10/10 for confidence.”
Social media reactions highlighted both the absurdity of the scam and the serious risks posed by digital impersonation. One user joked about the scammer pretending to be busy in meetings, while others expressed concern about how easily people can fall prey to such frauds.
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s candid sharing of this interaction sheds light on the ongoing challenges companies and individuals face from online scammers. It also serves as a reminder to stay vigilant and cautious when receiving unsolicited messages, even if they appear to come from familiar or authoritative sources.
