Student Held for Creating Malicious APK Files in ₹63 Crore Cyber Fraud Case

A 26-year-old student has been arrested for allegedly creating fraudulent APK files that were used by an inter-state cybercrime network to steal banking information and cheat thousands of people across India, police officials said.

The case was registered after the Dr D B Marg Police in Mumbai received a complaint about fake messages sent in the name of Mahanagar Gas Limited, asking users to install a malicious APK application. After installation, the app allegedly accessed confidential mobile banking details, resulting in one victim losing ₹70,500.

Police traced the accused, identified as S K Mandal, to West Bengal and seized 10 mobile phones, a laptop, seven SIM cards, four credit/debit cards, along with a database containing sensitive banking information of 37,200 individuals.

Investigators said Mandal had allegedly developed 967 fraudulent APK files and sold 91 of them to other members of the cybercrime network. These malicious applications were reportedly used to target 5,912 victims nationwide, including 512 people from Maharashtra. The total amount involved in the alleged fraud has been estimated at ₹63.69 crore.

The case highlights the rising threat of APK-based cybercrime, where criminals disguise malware as legitimate applications to gain access to users’ personal and financial data. Such scams often rely on fake messages, phishing links, and social engineering tactics to trick victims into installing harmful software.

Cybersecurity experts have urged users to adopt stronger digital security practices, including downloading applications only from trusted sources, avoiding unknown links and attachments, verifying messages from banks or service providers, and enabling multi-factor authentication on financial accounts.

Authorities are also focusing on strengthening cybercrime monitoring systems, improving coordination between law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, and increasing public awareness to prevent digital fraud.

Police said further investigation is underway to identify other individuals involved in the cybercrime network and determine the full scale of the operation. The incident underscores the growing need for vigilance as online financial fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated.