Raipur, Dec 27: In a major crackdown under Operation Cyber Shield, the Raipur Range Police have busted an organised inter-state cyber crime network involved in hacking mobile phones using fake APK files and cheating people of lakhs of rupees.
Six cyber criminals were arrested following coordinated raids in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. The accused targeted victims by sending fake APK files in the name of RTO e-challans, insurance services, PM Kisan Yojana and other government schemes.
Raipur Range Inspector General Amresh Mishra said the gang used malicious APK files such as RTOechallan.apk, PMkisanyojna.apk, Insurance.apk, SBIcreditcard.apk, Fastag.apk, and others. Once installed, these files gave the criminals complete control over the victim’s mobile phone, allowing them to access OTPs, passwords, contacts, messages and gallery data.
Police said the fake APKs were created by an 18-year-old accused from Lonavala, Maharashtra, who embedded malicious code in the files and sold them to hackers through Telegram groups. These files were then circulated on WhatsApp, disguised as official government apps.
In two cases registered at Tikrapara and Rakhi police stations, the accused cheated victims of ₹17.12 lakh by hacking their mobile phones. Investigations are ongoing, and ₹2 lakh has been frozen in the accused persons’ bank accounts.
Police have appealed to the public not to open unknown links or APK files, download apps only from the Google Play Store, avoid granting unnecessary permissions, and use antivirus software. In case of suspected cyber fraud, citizens should immediately call the national cyber helpline 1930 or lodge a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
