In a recent case of cybercrime, a man from Kozhikode lost ₹4 lakh in a targeted cyber fraud incident. The money was part of a provident fund loan he had withdrawn for medical expenses and house construction. According to police sources, the fraud occurred after he received a text message claiming to be from his bank, urging him to install a mobile application through a link provided.
Trusting the message, the victim downloaded the APK file and entered his banking credentials into what he believed was a legitimate application. Shortly after, he received two OTPs for transactions worth ₹1.9 lakh and ₹2.1 lakh respectively, which were immediately debited from his account. The entire balance was drained within minutes.
Upon reporting the matter, the Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police launched a probe and found that the app had a screen-sharing component embedded within it. This allowed cybercriminals to remotely access the victim’s phone and capture sensitive banking information. Investigators also traced the funds to transactions made on an e-commerce site.
Police have confirmed that efforts are underway to recover the lost funds and reverse the transactions. The case serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat of cyber scams, particularly those that exploit user trust through fake messages and unauthorized apps.
Citizens are advised to avoid clicking on unknown links, refrain from installing applications from unofficial sources, and report any suspicious banking activity immediately
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