New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) In a breakthrough against rising cyber frauds, the Cyber Police Station of South-West Delhi has arrested two cyber criminals from Jharkhand for cheating a Delhi resident of Rs 10.64 lakh through a malicious mobile application (APK file).

The accused, identified as Shankar Dan (27) and Pradeep Kumar Dan (26), both residents of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, were arrested following extensive raids conducted across Jharkhand and West Bengal.

According to police, the duo used to impersonate bank representatives and lure victims by sending fake APK files via WhatsApp, which gave them unauthorised access to bank accounts. In this case, the victim received a call on June 30 from someone claiming to be an SBI official, citing issues with cheque clearance.

The caller sent a malicious file under the pretext of verifying cheque images. After installing the app, the victim’s phone was compromised, and unauthorised transactions worth Rs 10.64 lakh were made from his Bandhan Bank account.

The money was routed through the BillDesk payment platform to Axis Bank credit cards and Google Ads, and later withdrawn using third-party apps like CRED and MobiKwik. Police recovered six smartphones, including the device used to make the call and one used to operate the BillDesk app.

The devices contained credit card data, banking credentials, and malware.

Shankar Dan, who has studied till class 3 and owns a mobile shop, was previously involved in two cyber fraud cases and one murder case. He was responsible for calling victims and sending the malicious links. Pradeep, educated till class 8 and an accused in a murder case, managed the financial transactions.

The investigation is ongoing, and police suspect the involvement of a larger cyber syndicate operating from forested areas to evade detection.

–IANS

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