NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Cyber Cell has dismantled a cyber fraud syndicate using malicious APK files to steal money.
The case emerged after an Indian Army officer filed a complaint on May 20, 2024, stating he was defrauded of Rs 1.81 lakh. The victim received a call from someone posing as AU Small Finance Bank staff, claiming an international transaction had been made on his credit card. The fraudster convinced him to install an APK file sent via WhatsApp, leading to 13
unauthorised transactions.
The police traced the scam to Jharkhand’s Jamtara and Dumka regions, arresting key suspect Munna Kumar Baidya (28) and his accomplices Dinesh Kumar Mandal (36) and Bipin Kumar (23). Munna admitted to buying malicious APK files from Instagram and Telegram for Rs 2,500 each, paid via USDT. The syndicate accessed credit card details through Excel sheets shared on WhatsApp.
Dinesh handled the money transfers via third-party apps, while Bipin provided an HDFC bank account for stolen funds.