Three Arrested in Kandivli for Rs 6.2 Lakh Cyber Fraud Over Gas Meter Dues
The Kandivli police have arrested three men for allegedly duping two suburban residents of Rs 6.2 lakh through cyber fraud using malicious APK files. The suspects reportedly turned to cybercrime after taking a gold loan from a financial institution and splurging the money, using the stolen funds to repay their debt.
The arrested individuals have been identified by the police as Urvish Kumar Patel, Jani Kumar Patel, and Ankit Kumar Patel.
According to the police, the cyber fraud came to light after two residents living in the Kandivli area filed complaints about unauthorized withdrawals from their bank accounts. In both instances, the fraudsters used the pretext of pending gas meter readings and dues to trick the victims.
The first incident took place on May 7, when a Kandivli resident received a phone call around noon from an unknown person. The caller instructed him to clear an outstanding payment of Rs 12 regarding his gas meter reading. During the conversation, the caller sent a malicious APK file to the victim's phone. Upon installation, the file compromised the device, and Rs 4.17 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from the victim's bank account.
Two days later, on May 9, a second resident in Kandivli was targeted in a similar manner. The complainant received a call from an unknown number at around 4 pm, with the caller claiming that his MGL gas meter reading had not been updated. The caller sent a malicious APK file that allowed remote access to the resident's mobile device screen, resulting in an unauthorized withdrawal of Rs 2.07 lakh.
Following the two complaints, the Kandivli police registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) and launched an investigation. A police team headed by senior inspector Karan Sonkavde tracked down the suspects and placed all three accused under arrest.
