Hyderabad: Cybercrime Police save pensioner from Rs 10 lakh APK fraud

A Hyderabad pensioner narrowly escaped losing his life savings after falling prey to a fake Punjab National Bank helpline scam. Cybercrime Police swiftly intervened, blocking ₹5 lakh of the stolen ₹10 lakh, and warned citizens against installing fake APK files

Hyderabad: A quick response from the Hyderabad Cybercrime police saved a pensioner from losing his entire savings after he recently fell victim to a malicious APK fraud.

The complainant had searched online for the Punjab National Bank helpline to submit his ‘Life Certificate’ and unknowingly contacted a fake number listed by cybercriminals.

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According to the Cybercrime officials, the fraudsters, posing as bank officials, convinced him to install a malicious APK file sent via WhatsApp. Once installed, the malware gave them remote access to his phone, leading to unauthorized transactions worth Rs 10 lakh from his bank account.

When the senior citizen approached the Cybercrime Unit, Police Constable N Srikanth Naik immediately assisted him in filing a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and removed the malware.

With swift coordination, the digital wallet’s nodal officer helped block Rs 5 lakh, which is now being processed back to the victim. The Cybercrime police have warned citizens against installing unknown APK files such as “RTO Challan,” “RTA Challan 140.apk,” or “Customercare.apk,” which are being circulated through WhatsApp and social media.

They urged citizens to download apps only from official stores and verify bank details through authorized websites.