Pune: A 28-year-old software engineer from Bhekrainagar in Phursungi was allegedly duped of ₹90,000 after downloading a fake hospital appointment application and making a ₹5 payment. The cybercriminals reportedly posed as hospital representatives and sent an APK file that was presented as a tool for booking an appointment.
The woman, who is originally from Nagpur, had registered at a maternity hospital there and was scheduled to travel to the city for her delivery. Her mother, who was accompanying her, searched online for the hospital’s contact number to confirm the appointment.
After finding a number online, the woman’s mother called it. The person who answered allegedly claimed to assist with the hospital appointment and sent her a link. She was asked to enter the patient’s details and pay a nominal fee of ₹5.
The link reportedly contained an APK file named ‘hospital appointment book csc.apk’. The victim’s mother forwarded the link to her daughter, who clicked on it and downloaded the application on her mobile phone.
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After entering the requested details, the woman was directed to a payment page and paid ₹5 as instructed. She did not initially suspect that the application or the link could be fraudulent.
On August 24, however, she received messages showing that ₹85,000 and another ₹5,000 had been debited from her bank account without her authorisation. Her bank also contacted her to confirm the transactions.
The woman then realised that she had potentially fallen victim to a cyber fraud. She immediately contacted the bank and requested that further online transactions be stopped. She subsequently approached the police and lodged a complaint.
Phursungi police registered a case against an unidentified person under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and Sections 318, 316 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are examining the mobile number used by the alleged fraudster, the link and APK file shared with the victim, the bank account that received the money and the digital trail associated with the transactions.
The incident highlights the growing use of fake applications and malicious APK files in cyber fraud. Criminals can create or promote fake contact numbers for hospitals and other trusted institutions and use them to lure victims into downloading applications outside official app stores.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said such frauds exploit the trust people place in healthcare institutions and the urgency associated with medical appointments. He said users should independently verify hospital contact details through the institution’s official website or other verified channels before sharing personal information, clicking links or installing applications.
He also cautioned that a small payment request should not automatically be treated as safe. Fraudsters may use a nominal ₹5 charge to make a transaction appear routine while using a malicious application or link to facilitate further unauthorised activity.
Cybersecurity experts advise users not to install APK files received through unknown numbers, messaging platforms or unverified websites. Applications should preferably be downloaded only from official app stores, and users should carefully review the permissions requested by any newly installed application.
The Pune case also underlines the importance of immediately contacting the bank after noticing an unauthorised transaction. Reporting the incident promptly can help authorities and banks initiate measures to trace or potentially freeze the transferred funds.
For hospital appointments, patients should avoid relying solely on phone numbers appearing in internet search results. Contact details should be cross-checked with the hospital’s official website, verified social media accounts or other trusted sources before making payments or downloading any application.
