Varanasi Police Busts Cyber Gang Using SMS-Forwarder APK for Online Looting

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Cybercrime Ring Busted: Varanasi Police Arrest Two Suspects in SMS-Forwarder APK Scam

A coordinated cybercrime operation was dismantled by the Varanasi police, resulting in the arrest of two individuals accused of using malicious APK files to intercept SMS messages and steal victims’ banking credentials.

Arrest and Investigation

The investigation, which began in January 2026, was triggered by a complaint from a Varanasi resident who reported that ₹8,38,402 had been siphoned from his bank account.

The suspects, identified as Nageshwar Mandal and Akshay Mandal, also known as Pintu, were arrested near Andal railway station in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district. Both individuals have links to Jharkhand’s Jamtara district, a region notorious for its organized cybercrime networks.

The police recovered several devices and cash during the operation, including six iPhones, nine Android mobile phones, and ₹1,52,100 in cash.

Modus Operandi

According to investigators, the suspects used Trojan-based applications and SMS forwarding malware to gain access to victims’ banking credentials. The group circulated forged digital flyers claiming to relate to banking services or traffic challan payments, which included links to fraudulent APK files.

Once installed, the application allowed the attackers to gain remote access to the victim’s device and intercept incoming SMS messages, including one-time passwords used for banking authentication.

The suspects also employed an SMS bombing technique, sending hundreds of messages to confuse victims while fraudulent banking transactions were carried out in the background. Stolen funds were routed through mule bank accounts arranged via Telegram bots and then withdrawn through cardless payment systems.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation, led by Inspector Udaybeer Singh and Inspector Shivakant Shukla, is ongoing, with authorities examining the digital devices recovered during the operation and identifying other potential victims linked to the network.

The arrested individuals are being questioned to uncover additional participants in the fraud network and trace the flow of stolen funds. Nageshwar Mandal has previously been named in a cybercrime case, according to police records.

The Varanasi police’s cybercrime unit has been working to dismantle the network, and officials said the investigation remains active. The case highlights the growing threat of cybercrime in India and the need for increased awareness and vigilance among banking customers.