The victim said that he did not receive any SMS or email alerts for the transactions. When he approached his bank, officials stated that most of the stolen money had been transferred to different bank accounts
The police have urged citizens to avoid downloading APK files or clicking on links related to e-challans. Representational Pic/File
A 53-year-old businessman from Mumbai's Goregaon lost Rs 9.71 lakh after falling victim to a cyber fraud linked to a fake e-challan message received on WhatsApp, police said on Tuesday.
According to the police complaint, the fraud came to light when the businessman checked his bank statement and noticed three unauthorised IMPS debit transactions totalling Rs 9,71,380. The debits included amounts of Rs 500, Rs 4.80 lakh and Rs 4.90 lakh, all carried out without his knowledge or consent.
The victim said he did not receive any SMS or email alerts for the transactions. When he approached his bank, officials confirmed that most of the stolen money had been transferred to accounts held with Union Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank. The bank assured him that an internal inquiry would be conducted.
Malicious APK file found on phone
Further investigation revealed that a malicious APK file named “RTO Challan.apk” had been installed on the businessman’s mobile phone without his awareness. A security scan using a mobile safety application detected the file, which was later found to have been received via WhatsApp a few days earlier.
Cyber experts believe the APK gave fraudsters remote access to the victim’s phone, allowing them to operate banking applications and transfer funds electronically.
Complaint filed with cyber crime helpline
The victim immediately uninstalled the malicious application and lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930). A formal police complaint was filed later, with the delay attributed to work-related travel.
Police issue warning to citizens
Police have urged citizens to avoid downloading APK files or clicking on links related to e-challans, fines or penalties received through WhatsApp or unknown sources. They warned that such scams are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to drain bank accounts.
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