Fake APK Files, Gas Bills And RTO Challans: How 4 Ahmedabad Residents Lost ₹27.26 Lakh

Four Ahmedabad residents, including a CGST officer, a jewellery trader, a businessman and a retired senior citizen, were allegedly cheated of a total of ₹27.26 lakh in separate cyber fraud incidents involving fake APK files. The accused allegedly used messages about gas connection disconnection, RTO e-challans and payment updates to trick victims into installing malicious files, allowing them to access banking details and intercept OTPs.

Cybercrime police have registered cases in all four incidents and launched investigations.

CGST Officer Loses ₹7.33 Lakh After Installing Fake RTO Challan APK

Bharatkumar Harishbhai Parmar, 58, a chief accounts officer with the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department, received a file named ‘RTO E CHALLAN.apk’ from an unknown person on August 17.

After installing the file, his mobile phone was allegedly compromised. The fraudsters then illegally ported his mobile number without his knowledge and obtained his internet banking ID and password.

Using OTPs received through the compromised number, the accused allegedly withdrew ₹7.33 lakh from four credit cards belonging to Parmar.

Manek Chowk Jewellery Trader Duped Of ₹7.22 Lakh

Vinodbhai Kalidas Patel, 63, a Naranpura resident who deals in gold and silver jewellery at Manek Chowk, received a file named ‘Google Play Protect’ on the night of September 27.

After he installed the APK, the accused allegedly gained access to his mobile phone and obtained his internet banking details.

They subsequently transferred ₹7.22 lakh from his bank account to different accounts, according to the complaint.

₹7.18 Lakh Stolen After Fake Adani Gas Disconnection Message

Nikhilkumar Patel, a resident of Vastral, received a WhatsApp message on September 9 claiming that his Adani Gas connection would be disconnected that night because of an outstanding bill.

After contacting the number provided in the message, a person identifying himself as Shrikant Mishra, allegedly an employee of the gas company, instructed Patel to download a file called ‘Adani Gas Bill Update.apk’.

The victim was attempting to pay a ₹13 bill when he entered his bank account, debit card and credit card details. The transaction reportedly failed.

However, the accused allegedly obtained OTPs from his compromised phone and went on to withdraw ₹7.18 lakh from multiple accounts and credit cards.

Retired Senior Citizen Loses ₹5.52 Lakh Through Fake E-Challan File

Govindram Thadani, a 70-year-old retired resident of Sardarnagar, was allegedly cheated of ₹5.52 lakh on September 4.

An unknown person sent him a file named ‘e-challan.apk’, which he installed on his phone. The accused allegedly gained access to the device and later registered the PhonePe application using his mobile number.

Two amounts — ₹98,000 and ₹4.52 lakh — were subsequently debited from his account, taking the total loss to ₹5.52 lakh.

Thadani noticed the unauthorised transactions while checking his account statement for funds related to an IPO and subsequently approached the police.

Cybercrime Police Investigate Four Cases

Across the four incidents, the fraudsters allegedly used convincing messages and fake APK files to gain access to victims’ mobile phones and financial information. In one case, the accused allegedly ported the victim’s mobile number to gain access to OTPs.

Cybercrime police have registered separate cases and are investigating the transactions, the source of the APK files and the accounts that received the stolen money.