Cyberfraud Case Filed After Hackers Use IPS Officer's Photo in Fake RTO APK Scam

Police have registered a case against an unidentified cyberfraudster for allegedly using a photograph of an IPS officer to circulate a malicious APK file disguised as official Regional Transport Office communications regarding unpaid traffic fines.

According to police, Head Constable MN Wagh of the Cyber Police Station, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural, lodged the complaint after authorities detected suspicious activity flagged on Threads. Warnings concerning the deceptive WhatsApp messages had initially surfaced on an Instagram profile.

The perpetrators allegedly distributed the malicious APK file through WhatsApp messages claiming that the recipient's vehicle had an outstanding traffic fine. To establish credibility, the scammers used a WhatsApp account displaying the official photograph of the Superintendent of Police, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural, as its profile image. Investigators suspect the official photograph was downloaded directly from the police department's website.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the targeted WhatsApp account was registered in a woman's name and had been compromised by cybercriminals on July 30.

Police warned that downloading and installing the fraudulent RTO application grants attackers unauthorised backend access to the victim's device. Once installed, the malware enables cybercriminals to monitor handsets and steal sensitive data, including contact lists, text messages, private photographs, personal documents, banking credentials, and one-time passwords (OTPs). The malicious software continues to run in the background, giving attackers full control while device owners remain unaware that their personal information has been compromised.

The Cyber Police have registered a case against the unidentified cybercriminals under Section 66C (identity theft) and Section 66D (cheating by personation using a computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.