Dheeraj Giri, a 28-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Saturday by the police for swindling Rs 10 lakh from a Mattancherry resident using a malicious app linked through an SMS. The fraud took place on October 31, when the victim received an SMS containing a link. Clicking the link installed a malicious APK file on the victim’s phone, which allowed the fraudster to gain access to mobile banking apps and One-Time Passwords (OTPs).
The police explained, “Unaware of the scam, the victim clicked on the link, which led to the installation of the app on his mobile. Between 10pm on October 31 and 8am on November 1, Rs 10 lakh was transferred in 41 transactions from the victim’s bank account to 39 different accounts.”
The Mattancherry police registered a case and began tracking the bank accounts to which the money was transferred. Investigators discovered that the accused had used the swindled funds to purchase credits in online games. These credits were then converted into money, a tactic that helped him evade detection for some time.
Using the information from the APK file URL, the police traced two mobile phone numbers, a Gmail account, and an IP address linked to the scam. By working with telecom service providers, the police accessed Call Data Records (CDR) and found that six phone numbers were used by the accused to operate multiple bank accounts, including those involved in the fraud. The investigation also uncovered that the same individual was linked to a similar scam in Bengaluru, where a person lost Rs 1.20 crore.
After identifying Dheeraj Giri, the police tracked him to his premium apartment in Noida and arrested him. A search of his residence uncovered 20 bank passbooks, numerous ATM cards, chequebooks, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, six premium smartphones, and several SIM cards. Authorities also found that Giri lived a luxurious lifestyle, with multiple premium cars in his possession.
The accused was brought to Kochi, where he was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. The police plan to file a petition seeking his custody for further questioning and investigation into his involvement in other similar frauds.