Deonar Resident Duped of Rs 17 Lakh by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as Poll Officials

A retired college principal residing in Deonar was cheated of Rs 17 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as election officials targeted him on the pretext of updating voter roll details. The complainant is believed to be the first victim of this specific election-themed cyber fraud.

The incident took place on August 8, when the fraudsters contacted the retired principal regarding a supposed issue with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The caller claimed that the victim's father's name had been incorrectly recorded on the voter list.

To avoid being barred from voting, the caller insisted that the resident immediately rectify the discrepancy. The victim was instructed to urgently download an .APK file on his mobile phone to fill out the required SIR form.

After the file was downloaded, it granted the fraudsters unauthorised remote access to the victim's device. The criminals subsequently used that access to siphon off Rs 17 lakh.