The North Region Cyber Police have arrested Hardik Porda (25) from Surat in connection with a Rs21 lakh e-challan cyber fraud, in which a Mumbai couple lost significant funds from their bank accounts.
The complainant and his wife, residents of Malad, discovered on December 1 that Rs11.33 lakh had been debited from his account and Rs10.39 lakh from his wife’s account, transactions they had not authorized. On inquiry, the bank suggested that the money might have been stolen through a cybercrime, prompting them to approach the police.
Investigation revealed that the couple had received a text message on November 17 containing a malicious APK file named “RTO challan”. Upon downloading it, fraudsters gained access to their bank accounts and transferred out their money.
A police team, supervised by Joint Commissioner Lakhmi Gautam, DCP Purushottam Karad, and Senior Inspector Kiran Aher, traced a portion of the stolen funds to Surat, leading to the arrest of Hardik Porda. He was produced before a Mumbai court and remanded in police custody until January 3.
Investigators continue to search for other associates who may have been involved in the scam.
