Lucknow: A trading businessman from Aishbagh has been duped of Rs52.31 lakh by cyber fraudsters who gained remote access to his mobile phone through a malicious APK file sent via a link, police said.According to the complaint, the victim, identified as Mohammad Salim, received a suspicious link on his mobile phone in Jan. Upon clicking the link, an APK (Android Package Kit) file was automatically downloaded and installed on his device. Though he later deleted the application, the fraudsters had compromised his phone. Police said the accused used the malicious application to gain unauthorised access to the victim’s banking credentials, OTPs and financial data. Over a span of 41 days, from Jan 13 to Feb 23, the fraudsters siphoned off Rs52.31 lakh from his bank account through multiple transactions.The fraud came to light only in Mar when Salim visited his bank to update his passbook. Bank officials informed him about the large withdrawals made over the previous weeks, leaving him shocked. Following the discovery, the victim lodged an FIR at the local police station. Inspector Brajesh Singh said the case was referred to the cyber cell, which is analysing bank statements and transaction trails to identify the beneficiary accounts and trace the accused.Safety advisoryCyber police have issued an advisory urging citizens to remain vigilant. Do not download APK files received via WhatsApp or unknown links. Avoid opening files with extensions like APK, PIF or VBS from unknown sources.
