Deonar Ex-Principal Duped of Rs 17 Lakh in Voter List Cyber Fraud
A former college principal in Deonar was duped out of Rs 17 lakh after cybercriminals posing as Election Commission officials tricked him into downloading a malicious application under the pretext of updating electoral records.
The incident is part of an emerging cyber fraud trend in Mumbai where scamsters exploit public anxiety surrounding voter registration under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) framework. Senior citizens have become the primary targets in several reported cases across the city.
In the Deonar case, the fraudster contacted the retired principal using a display picture featuring the Election Commission logo. The caller introduced himself as "Election Commissioner Chandrashekhar" and told the victim that his father's name was incorrectly listed in the electoral roll, insisting that it required urgent correction.
The caller persuaded the victim to install an APK file on his phone. Following the installation, two applications disguised as voter verification tools appeared on the device, providing the scamsters with remote access to the victim's phone and banking information.
The fraud took place when the victim attempted to pay a nominal correction fee of Rs 5. Instead of the small amount, Rs 17 lakh was debited from his bank account.
Scamsters using this modus operandi pressure victims into clicking unsolicited links or downloading malicious APK files, compromising mobile devices to steal banking credentials.
