Ahmedabad Accountant Falls Victim to ₹3.20 Crore Housing Scheme Cyber Fraud

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A 67-year-old accountant in Ahmedabad was reportedly defrauded of ₹3.20 crore after interacting with a malicious Android Application Package (APK) file.

The Attack Unfolds

The incident allegedly occurred under the guise of a government housing initiative, with the victim receiving a deceptive message containing the file. The attack began on September 10 when the victim, Dilipbhai Chinubhai Shah, received a communication from a mobile number associated with an acquaintance operating a garage. The message claimed he had been selected as a beneficiary under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and included an attached APK file. Upon opening the file, no visible interface appeared, prompting the victim to close it.

Discovery of the Fraud

Investigators believe the application granted attackers covert administrative access to the device, enabling them to harvest banking credentials and circumvent security measures tied to financial accounts. The unauthorized transactions went unnoticed until September 19, when the victim’s son, Jainam, attempted to deposit two cheques. A ₹2.21 lakh cheque from the victim’s Punjab National Bank account and a ₹1.99 lakh cheque from his wife’s Bank of Baroda account were both rejected due to insufficient funds.

The Financial Drain

Mobile banking checks revealed the victim’s account balance had dwindled to approximately ₹10,000, while his wife’s account held just ₹635. The victim then discovered his contact number was linked to a Bank of India account belonging to a friend, Pravin Chandra Patel. Upon verifying the account, an alert indicated a ₹10,000 withdrawal. Further checks confirmed the account had been compromised, prompting the family to file a formal complaint.

Investigation and Response

Official records from the complaint detail systematic fund transfers between September 12 and September 21. Perpetrators executed rapid IMPS transactions ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹99,999 across multiple accounts. Significant withdrawals included repeated transactions of ₹10,000, ₹15,000, ₹20,000, and ₹30,000, alongside larger transfers that ultimately drained ₹3.20 crore from three interconnected accounts. The Ahmedabad Crime Branch Cyber Cell has initiated a technical investigation to trace the financial trail, freezing recipient accounts and identifying secondary layers where funds were routed.