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8 hours ago
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A 49-year-old retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army lost over ₹1.2 lakh after unknowingly installing a malicious mobile application disguised as an official traffic fine notification.
On July 6, 2025, the retired officer in Hyderabad received a message via WhatsApp containing an APK file ‘e-parivahan.apk’. The message claimed to be from an official traffic enforcement agency and alleged that his vehicle had violated traffic rules, requiring an immediate payment of ₹1,000. Believing the message to be legitimate and assuming he may have unknowingly committed a violation, the victim downloaded and installed the file on his phone.
Within minutes of installing it, between 7.15 p.m. and 7.25 p.m., the victim noticed two unauthorised transactions on his SBI credit card - ₹60,104 through Amazon Pay India Pvt Ltd and ₹60,305 via Amazon.in, resulting in a total loss of ₹1,20,409. The fraudulent purchases were made without his knowledge or consent, by stealing sensitive bank information through the APK file.
A case was booked by the cybercrime wing of the Hyderabad police and an investigation initiated. Following the incident, the police issued a public advisory urging citizens to remain cautious about suspicious messages demanding payment of traffic fines via external apps or links.
Authorities do not circulate APK files
Authorities clarified that government agencies, including the Transport Department, do not circulate APK files for enforcement or to collect fines. Citizens were advised to refrain from downloading such files from unverified sources and instead check the official Transport Department or traffic police websites to verify any such claims.
Helpline to report cybercrime
Victims of cyber fraud can contact the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or file complaints at cybercrime.gov.in. For immediate assistance, Hyderabad residents may also reach out to the cybercrime police at 8712665171 via call or WhatsApp.
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