A 57-year-old resident of Maharashtra’s Thane district was recently defrauded of Rs 9.08 lakh by cyber criminals operating through a malicious application link. Posing as representatives sending a Mahanagar Gas bill update, the fraudsters targeted the victim under the pretext of correcting a non-payment issue. According to the police, the entire fraudulent incident transpired between May 19 and June 1.
Malicious Link Disguised as Utility Update
The complainant, who resides in the Kalyan area, had already settled his genuine gas bill online when he received a deceptive communication claiming that his payment was outstanding. The fraudulent message contained an APK (Android Package Kit) link, which is the file format Android systems utilize to install applications. Believing the prompt to be authentic, the man clicked the link, which subsequently installed a rogue application named “Gas Bill” directly onto his smartphone.
Once the software was active, the application prompted the complainant to execute a nominal payment of Rs 12 using his credit card, debit card, or net banking credentials. When this minor transaction repeatedly failed to process, the sender of the original message instructed the victim to alter specific security settings on his mobile device.
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Remote Access Exploited for Unauthorized Transactions
As soon as the user adjusted his phone settings as directed, the cyber criminals successfully gained full remote access to his electronic device. An official stated that the victim eventually recognized the suspicious nature of the activity and disconnected the call. However, the intervention came too late, as a total sum of Rs 9.08 lakh was debited from his bank account in three separate transactions shortly after the remote connection was established.
Criminal Case Registered Under Information Technology Act
Following the discovery of the financial theft, the victim filed a formal complaint with the local authorities. A criminal case has been registered at the Khadakpada police station.
The case has been filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Police officials added that a further investigation is currently underway to identify the perpetrators and trace the stolen funds.
