A cybercrime investigation in Mumbai has led to the arrest of a 36-year-old software developer from Madhya Pradesh, who allegedly created malicious APK files that were sold to cybercrime gangs and used to target thousands of people across India.
The case began after a 72-year-old Mumbai resident allegedly lost ₹5.62 lakh in a fake senior citizen card verification scam. On 13 August, the victim reportedly received a call from a person claiming to be a senior manager of the Bank of India. The caller allegedly offered help with obtaining a senior citizen card and later sent a WhatsApp file named “Senior Citizen Card Verification.apk”.
The victim was asked to enter personal and debit card details into the application. Soon after, ₹5.62 lakh was allegedly withdrawn from his bank account.
A case was registered at Byculla police station under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. The investigation was later transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
A technical analysis of the APK allegedly led investigators to the developer in Madhya Pradesh. Police raided his office and seized a pen drive, CPU, 3 hard disks, a Wi-Fi router and 3 mobile phones.
According to the Crime Branch, the investigation found that the accused had allegedly developed and sold 2,805 malicious APK files to different cybercrime gangs. These applications were allegedly used to target 9,673 people across India, with the total fraud estimated at around ₹15.77 crore.
The APKs were allegedly designed to trick victims into sharing sensitive personal and banking information, which could then be used for financial fraud.
Police said 1,074 complaints were registered through the national cybercrime helpline 1930. These included 143 complaints from Maharashtra and 36 from Mumbai. Investigators have so far detected 88 cases across India, including 8 in Maharashtra and 5 in Mumbai.
The Crime Branch is now investigating the cybercrime gangs that allegedly bought and used the APKs. Police are also examining the accused’s digital and financial links and analysing the seized devices and server information to identify others involved and determine the full extent of the alleged network.
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