A 20-year-old worker at a perfume shop in Ahmedabad lost Rs 1.34 lakh after downloading a fraudulent application while trying to track a parcel sent to Kashmir via India Post. The incident was reported to the Dariapur police on Saturday by Fiyyan Shaikh, a resident of Dhalgarwad.
How the Scam Unfolded
According to the complaint, Shaikh was assisting his employer in tracking a perfume consignment that had not reached its destination. The parcel had been dispatched from the Mirzapur post office on March 16. When the customer reported non-delivery, Shaikh and his colleagues attempted to trace the status. Acting on information purportedly received at the post office, they tried to download a parcel-tracking application.
Instead of the intended tracking app, a different application was downloaded. Finding it difficult to understand, Shaikh contacted a helpline number displayed on the app. The person who answered, speaking in Hindi, allegedly asked him to call from the mobile number linked to the payment made for dispatching the parcel.
Fraudulent Requests and Malware Installation
The caller sought Shaikh's Aadhaar details and later sent an APK file titled 'Customer Support 1.apk' through WhatsApp. After installing the file, Shaikh entered parcel-related details and attempted to make a nominal payment of Rs 5 as instructed.
Discovery of Unauthorised Transactions
A few days later, while trying to make a payment through Google Pay, Shaikh noticed that transactions were failing. On visiting his bank branch and obtaining a statement, he discovered that multiple unauthorised transactions had been carried out from his account on May 24. The statement showed two debits of nearly Rs 50,000 each, three transactions of Rs 9,999, and another of Rs 5,000, taking the total amount siphoned off to Rs 1.34 lakh.
Action Taken
After reporting the matter to the national Cybercrime helpline, Shaikh approached Dariapur police. An investigation has been initiated.
This incident highlights the growing menace of cyber frauds where victims are tricked into installing malicious apps that steal sensitive financial information. Authorities urge the public to exercise caution when downloading apps from unknown sources and to verify helpline numbers through official channels.
