Hyderabad businessman loses Rs 3 lakh after rogue APK file gets access to credit card

Hyderabad: A businessman from Hyderabad lost almost Rs 3 lakh after he unknowingly downloaded a malicious APK file from a WhatsApp group that gained access to his credit card account.

Malicious APK file downloaded with the auto-download option

In the complaint to the police, the 44-year-old mentioned that on March 21 he started getting messages about multiple unauthorised transactions from his RBL credit card. Alarmed, he immediately contacted RBL customer care for assistance.

Upon checking his phone, he noticed that his phone had downloaded an APK file called ‘PM YOJANA47.apk’ from a WhatsApp group. Since the auto-download option was enabled, the file was automatically downloaded.

Realizing this, the victim promptly uninstalled the app and lodged a complaint online. The victim suspected that scammers accessed his phone through the APK file, leading to unauthorised transactions from his credit card. In the end, he lost Rs 2,94,305. The victim has filed a complaint seeking assistance.

Public advisory

Do not download or install APKs from unofficial sources.

Beware of fake messages/APK files in the name of banks.

Please don’t open/download such messages. They may be harmful, get access to your data and misuse it.

No bank will send messages with an individual mobile number. Bank communication will be always from their authenticated SMS gateway.

Victims of cybercrime can dial 1930 or visit www.cybercrime.gov.in for assistance.

In case of an emergency, call or WhatsApp 8712665171.

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