Delhi Cyber Police Nab 2 from Jharkhand for Duping Senior Citizen

New Delhi (IANS): A specialized team from the North-East District Cyber Police Station has dismantled a cyber-fraud operation originating from Jharkhand, arresting two suspects for siphoning ₹10,52,938 from a 65-year-old Delhi resident. The arrests follow a sophisticated digital investigation into a “Malicious APK” scam that targeted elderly citizens.

The “KYC Update” Trap

The victim, Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Meet Nagar, reported that on April 25, 2026, he received a WhatsApp call from an unidentified individual claiming to be a bank official. The caller insisted that Kumar’s KYC details required urgent updating to prevent his account from being blocked.

Under the guise of assistance, the fraudster instructed Kumar to download and install a specific file (an APK file). Moments after the installation, the malware granted the attackers remote access to his device, allowing them to intercept OTPs and perform unauthorized transactions totaling over ₹10.52 lakh.

The Investigation and Arrests

Following the registration of an E-FIR on April 26, 2026, a team led by Inspector Rahul Kumar and supervised by ACP Satyendra Kumar Singh used technical surveillance to trace the digital footprint of the stolen funds. The investigation led them to the Pithakyari area of Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

• Primary Arrest: Amarnath Rabidas (20) was apprehended first. Police recovered three mobile phones from him containing evidence of the transaction.

• Accomplice: Based on Rabidas’s confession, his associate Bikash Rabidas (21) was subsequently arrested. A fourth mobile phone was seized from his possession.

Modus Operandi: Malicious APKs

During interrogation, the duo confessed to using malicious applications to bypass banking security. The investigation revealed:

• Fund Routing: The defrauded amount was moved through multiple “mule” bank accounts to complicate the trail.

• Cash Withdrawal: A significant portion of the money was withdrawn via ATMs shortly after the theft.

• Frozen Assets: Police successfully froze ₹2,05,000 in one of the linked bank accounts.

• Broader Network: The recovered devices were linked to five other complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), suggesting a much larger victim pool.