Hyderabad: Cybercriminals looted ₹70,000 from a fertilizer dealer in Krishna district after he unknowingly opened a malicious APK file disguised as a challan PDF shared in a WhatsApp group.
The victim, Rambabu, a fertilizer shop dealer from Kankipadu village, was part of a WhatsApp group for dealers. He received a file titled as a challan PDF but formatted as an APK an Android installation file.
Upon opening the file, Rambabu’s phone began overheating and unauthorized transactions followed. In multiple phases, the cybercriminals drained ₹49,500, ₹10,000, and another ₹10,000 from his account.
Realizing the fraud, Rambabu rushed to his bank, closed his account, and lodged a complaint with the police.
Officials reiterated warnings against opening APK files received via WhatsApp, especially from unknown or unverified sources.