Fake government app on WhatsApp costs man Rs 5.9 lakh

A 35-year-old operations manager in Ahmedabad allegedly lost Rs 5.9 lakh after tapping a file on WhatsApp. The file looked like a transport app called "Mparivahan." Police were told it let fraudsters take over his phone and use a credit card he had saved in a shopping app.

What happened

The file arrived in the first week of May as an APK. That is an app file you install by hand, outside the official app store. He opened it, believing it was real. He later suspected it let the fraudsters see his phone and send his incoming calls to another number.

A few days later, bank alerts in his email showed two purchases he never made. The shopping app showed two invoices for mobile phones ordered through Flipkart Minutes. At the same time, one-time codes from various companies started landing on his phone. He suspects the fraudsters were catching those codes through the diverted calls.

Why it matters

The trick did not need his card number. The card was already saved in the app. Control of the phone gave the fraudsters a way to place orders and possibly catch the codes that confirm them. Anyone who uses Android, WhatsApp and saved cards could face the same risk. The alert box above lists the steps to take.

After finding the charges, he called his bank and blocked the card. He also blocked cards linked to his other bank accounts, wiped his phone to remove the file, and reported the case to helpline 1930. He then filed a written complaint with the cybercrime police station.

What is not known

The report does not say who sent the file or how they got his number. It also does not say whether the money has been recovered or anyone has been caught. The account of how the phone was taken over is his own suspicion so far.