A 28-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, identified as Dheeraj Giri, was arrested by the police on Saturday for swindling Rs 10 lakh from a native of Mattancherry. Giri had used a fraudulent SMS that contained a link to a malicious APK file, which allowed him to access the victim’s mobile banking apps and steal the money.
The victim had received the SMS on October 31, which led to the installation of the malicious app. The app enabled Giri to gain unauthorized access to the victim’s bank account details and OTPs, allowing him to transfer the stolen funds.
Between 10:00 PM on October 31 and 8:00 AM on November 1, Rs 10 lakh was transferred in 41 transactions to 39 different bank accounts, according to police reports.
Upon registering a case, the Mattancherry police began tracking the recipient accounts. Investigations revealed that Giri used the stolen money to purchase game credits online, which he later converted to real money, making it harder for authorities to trace his activities.
The police traced the URL associated with the APK and uncovered phone numbers, a Gmail account, and an IP address linked to its creation. Telecom data provided further leads, identifying six phone numbers used by Giri, linked to multiple bank accounts involved in the fraud. It was also discovered that Giri had carried out a similar scam in Bengaluru, where he swindled Rs 1.2 crore.
After pinpointing his location, the police arrested Giri in Noida at his upscale apartment. A subsequent search revealed 20 bank passbooks, numerous ATM cards, chequebooks, and personal identification documents like PAN and Aadhaar cards. The police also seized six premium smartphones, SIM cards, and luxury cars during the raid.
Giri was brought to Kochi and presented in court, where he was remanded in judicial custody. The police will now petition the court for his further detention to continue their investigation.
