Cyber crime police in Hyderabad and Rachakonda have sounded the alarm after registering three separate cases on Friday, where cunning fraudsters siphoned off more than Rs 11 lakh from unsuspecting victims. The common thread in all incidents was the installation of malicious Android Package Kit (APK) files, which effectively handed control of the victims' mobile phones and bank accounts to the criminals.
Chemist Loses Over Rs 7 Lakh in Elaborate Bank Impersonation Scam
The most substantial financial hit was suffered by a 46-year-old chemist residing in Uppal. According to her complaint filed with Rachakonda police, she received a call on September 18 from a man pretending to be an executive from Axis Bank. The imposter spun a convincing tale, falsely informing her that a personal accident insurance policy had been erroneously activated on her credit card. He warned that a deduction of Rs 60,000 was imminent. To supposedly deactivate this policy, the caller cleverly persuaded her to install a "bank application" via a link sent on WhatsApp.
Unbeknownst to her, the application was laden with malware. Police explained that this malicious software enabled call diversion and intercepted one-time passwords (OTPs). This access allowed the fraudsters to execute seven unauthorised transactions across three of her credit cards on the same day, draining over Rs 7 lakh. The victim only realised she had been defrauded much later and lodged a formal complaint on Friday.
Retiree and Priest Duped by Fake RTO E-Challan Links
In a similarly deceptive scheme, a 72-year-old retired employee from Saidabad fell prey after clicking on a link he received via SMS on December 8. The message purported to be an RTO e-challan. The application he installed was designed to mimic the official Telangana transport department portal and successfully captured his ICICI bank credit card details. Using this stolen information, the criminals made a single unauthorised transaction of Rs 3.3 lakh. He approached the Hyderabad cyber crime police on Friday.
Another victim, a 38-year-old priest from Mahendra Hills, encountered an almost identical trap. He lost Rs 1.4 lakh after downloading a fake RTO e-challan application sent to him on WhatsApp. The fraudulent amount was siphoned off on December 17 through multiple IMPS transactions and card-less cash withdrawals. He also filed his complaint with the authorities on Friday.
Police Action and Crucial Public Advisory
All three cases have been registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The cyber crime police have issued a stern warning to the public, urging extreme caution.
The primary advice is to never install applications from unknown links or sources, and to never share banking details, OTPs, or passwords with anyone. Officials emphasised that banks or government agencies never make such requests.
For those who suspect they have been targeted, the police advise immediate action. Victims should report the cyber fraud without delay on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or by calling the helpline number 1930. Quick reporting can significantly increase the chances of tracing and freezing the stolen funds.
