What Is APK Fraud? Inside the Mobile App Scam As Gujarat Man Loses Nearly INR 7 Lakh
Ahmedabad Cyber Crime busted a Jamtara-based gang using malicious APK files to hijack phones. The syndicate used fake apps to steal banking data and OTPs, while automatically spreading the malicious links to the victims' contacts. Four key members, including the app developer, were arrested for the countrywide fraud.
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The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch has dismantled a highly sophisticated cyber fraud syndicate originating from Jamtara, Jharkhand, that compromised mobile devices across India using malicious Android Package (APK) files. Operating under the direction of senior police officials, a specialised task force mapped the group’s digital footprint by analysing regional complaints filed via the national 1930 helpline, culminating in a series of coordinated inter-state arrests.
What Is APK Fraud?
An Android Package (APK) is the file format used by the Android operating system to distribute and install mobile applications. In APK fraud, cybercriminals manipulate targets into bypass-installing these files directly from unverified sources - such as WhatsApp, SMS, or Telegram links - rather than official platforms like the Google Play Store. Once downloaded, these malicious applications exploit device permissions to gain full remote access, allowing attackers to log keystrokes, intercept SMS text messages, and copy sensitive personal data without the user's conscious knowledge. Ahmedabad Blood Plasma Scam: SOG Busts Major Adulteration Racket Supply Chain; Know the Modus Operandi.
Victim Complaint Triggers Investigation
The police intervention followed a formal complaint registered by Naresh Devanand Sabnani, a resident of Hansol, Ahmedabad, who lost INR 6,68,914 to the ring. The fraudsters initiated contact via a WhatsApp message formatted to mimic an official service alert from Sabarmati Gas Limited, warning Sabnani that his gas connection would be disconnected immediately due to an unpaid bill. Posing as company officials, the scammers instructed Sabnani to download an external file named Sabarmati Gas Bill Update.apk. Once installed, the app granted the suspects unauthorised remote access to his smartphone, allowing them to intercept secondary authentication protocols and illicitly transfer funds directly out of his HDFC bank account.
Technical Tracking and Inter-State Arrests
Following a technical evaluation of the digital financial trail, cybercrime investigators identified and located the primary orchestrators of the operation. The main APK developer, Purnanand (alias Mukesh Tiwari), was arrested from a moving passenger train travelling from Kolkata to Sairang. The arrest was executed in transit with assistance from the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Subsequent raids in Jharkhand led to the arrest of two other crucial operatives: Vikas Das, who allegedly supplied the malicious download links to nearly 400 individuals, and Sitaram Mandal, who provided the network with the specific debit and credit card accounts required to harbour the stolen capital.
Automated Systems and Financial Laundering
Interrogations revealed a highly organised chain-reaction system where the gang automated the creation of fake applications - ranging from banking Know Your Customer (KYC) forms to regional electricity portals and RTO notices - using a private Telegram bot channel. Once a target's phone was infected, the malicious application secretly scraped banking IDs, passwords, and incoming One-Time Passwords (OTPs). Concurrently, the application used the infected device to automatically forward the identical malicious link to all contacts stored within the victim's personal WhatsApp and Telegram groups, allowing the fraud to spread exponentially within days. Gujarat Shocker: School Teacher Arrested For S*xually Harassing 13-Year-Old Student In Ahmedabad’s Dholka.
To hide their digital audit trail, the gang laundered the illicit profits through the State Bank of India's (SBI) YONO cash cardless ATM withdrawal feature, allowing them to extract physical currency without utilising a standard debit card. An investigation remains underway to determine if any other persons were involved in the scam.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2026 04:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
