Surat: A 38-year-old diamond unit owner from the Ashwini Kumar area of the city allegedly lost Rs 2.22 lakh after falling victim to a cyberfraud involving a malicious APK file disguised as an RTO e-challan notification.According to the complaint filed by Bhavesh Paladiya, the fraud took place between Sep 8 and 19. He received a message claiming to be related to an RTO traffic challan and was persuaded to download an APK file on his mobile phone.After downloading the file, he was asked to enter his details to process the e-challan. He noticed a Rs 2,000 traffic fine linked to his car’s registration number. However, the downloaded file compromised his mobile phone, enabling the fraudsters to access banking details belonging to him and his family members.The fraudsters carried out multiple unauthorised transactions from the complainant’s Bank of India account and other bank accounts linked to his family members, including his wife and mother. In total, Rs 2.22 lakh was siphoned off from four bank accounts.Paladiya later realised that he had been cheated and reported the incident to the national cyberfraud helpline at 1930. Following his complaint, Ashwini Kumar police registered an FIR on Monday under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.The case highlights how cybercriminals exploit fake traffic challan messages to trick people into downloading malicious applications and exposing sensitive financial information.
