A resident of Mangaluru suffered significant financial loss after unknowingly installing a malicious APK file sent via WhatsApp. The incident unfolded on Sunday when the victim received a message from an unknown sender. The message included an APK file named vahan.parivahan.apk, falsely claiming to contain traffic violation details.
After downloading the file, the victim’s phone began generating 16 One-Time Passwords (OTPs). Although these OTPs were not shared, unauthorized transactions followed rapidly. Through linked credit and debit cards, purchases worth Rs. 30,400 were made on Flipkart and Amazon, Rs. 16,700 was withdrawn from the debit card, and Rs. 71,496 was siphoned off through a Pay Later service.
Despite blocking the cards, the scammers accessed another bank account to make high-value purchases. Items included a OnePlus smartphone costing Rs. 39,398, a Motorola phone priced at Rs. 32,098, AirPods worth Rs. 12,800, and Flipkart vouchers totaling Rs. 43,700. Additionally, an Amazon gift card worth Rs. 3,000 was purchased. Transactions were linked to a New Delhi address, amounting to a total loss of Rs. 1,31,396.
Police are investigating, urging citizens to stay vigilant against unsolicited messages and avoid downloading unknown files. Cybersecurity experts emphasize quick reporting of suspicious activity to minimize financial damage.
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