In Agra, a fake medical appointment file results in a cyber fraud for Rs 6.85 lakh.
A search on Google for a doctor’s mobile number ended in severe financial loss for a city resident, who was duped of Rs 6.85 lakh after cyber criminals gained remote control of his mobile phone.
AGRA: A city citizen was defrauded of Rs 6.85 lakh after cybercriminals took remote control of his phone while searching Google for a doctor's mobile number. Under the guise of making an appointment, the scammers transmitted a malicious Android Application Package (APK) file via WhatsApp. The perpetrators gained access to the device as soon as the file was downloaded, and over the course of four days, they methodically took money out of his bank account. The cybercrime police station has received an official First Information Report, and an investigation is in progress.
Online Search Falls Into a WhatsApp Trap
After discovering that significant amounts of money had been embezzled, the victim, Shivshankar Sharma, a resident of Nai Abadi in Nagla Ajita, went to the police. Sharma claims that on November 2, he was looking up Dr. Vivek Agarwal's phone number on Google in order to arrange a consultation. He spent a lot of time looking, but he was unable to locate a working phone number. Soon later, he got an unexpected WhatsApp message from an unknown telephone number asking for help setting up an appointment.
An APK file titled "Appointment Booking Utility" was attached to the WhatsApp message. Sharma downloaded and installed the file on his phone because he thought the communication was authentic and originated from the clinic. The installation gave the offenders direct administrative access to the phone, according to police officials. After gaining complete access, the fraudsters started using the hijacked smartphone's digital banking information, login passwords, and payment capabilities without notifying the owner.
Money Stolen in Several Transactions
The cybercriminals started multiple transactions between November 3 and November 6, stealing Rs 6.85 lakh from Sharma's ICICI Bank account. The victim eventually became aware of the debits as the account balance was gradually reduced by the ongoing withdrawals. Startled by the sudden loss of his money, Sharma called his bank office right away. The sequence of transactions was verified by bank officials to be fraudulent withdrawals made using digital payment methods.
Following the confirmation from the bank, Sharma lodged a formal complaint on the national cyber crime reporting portal, leading to the registration of an FIR at the Agra cyber crime police station. Investigators have begun tracking the trail of the stolen money, identifying the intermediary bank accounts and digital wallets used by the syndicate. The police are also examining the specific mobile number used to transmit the WhatsApp link, aiming to uncover the network behind the coordinated fraud
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