Mumbai Crime: Bhandup Man Loses ₹3.59 Lakh After Downloading Malicious APK Containing Explicit Media

Mumbai: A 30-year-old man living in Bhandup fell victim to a cyber fraud after downloading a malicious APK file losing Rs3.59 lakh to unidentified cybercriminals. The Bhandup police have registered a case and initiated further investigation.

Victim's Background

According to the FIR, the victim is originally from Gudla, Dhayla, in Rajasthan, and had moved to Mumbai for employment. He resides in the Bhandup Village Road area and works at a local supermarket. Since 2021, he has been part of a WhatsApp group named, TRIBAL Aarmy, which includes six of his friends from his hometown.

On March 28, a file named was shared in the group. When the victim clicked on the file, his mobile phone was allegedly hacked, following which he began receiving calls and OTP messages from unknown numbers.

Discovery of Money Theft

Alarmed, he immediately switched off his phone. However, when he turned it back on around 3:30 pm on March 30, he discovered that money had been debited from his Bank of Baroda account in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. Upon checking his passbook at an ATM centre, he found that a total of Rs3.59 lakh had been transferred through 11 online transactions.

Realising he had been defrauded, the victim contacted the cyber helpline (1930) the following day and later filed a written complaint at the Bhandup police station.

Police have registered a case against unknown persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further investigation is underway.

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