• Source:JND
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A man identified as Vedprakash, a resident of Indargarhi in Ghaziabad, lost Rs 2.70 lakh in a cyber fraud incident after clicking on a suspicious link shared in a WhatsApp group named PM Yojana 13. The link led to an APK file, which, once installed, allowed fraudsters to hack his phone. Within just five minutes, the culprits accessed his bank account and withdrew the amount. The victim has lodged a complaint with the police and demanded immediate action against the cybercriminals.

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According to the police, the victim, Vedprakash, was a member of the Bharatiya Kisan Yuva Jagrook Sangathan's WhatsApp group, reported to the police that on September 30, a link titled "PM Yojana 13 APK" was shared in the group. He accidentally clicked on it, after which his phone was compromised. He received unusual messages about the launch of various services but ignored them.

On October 4 evening, within just five minutes, Rs 2.70 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from his account in four separate UPI transactions. Vedprakash was unaware of the activity until around 11 p.m., when his son checked his phone and discovered the transactions.

Distressed, he lodged a complaint at the Mussoorie police station, demanding action against those responsible. Police stated they are currently tracing the account where the money was transferred and assured that the culprits will be arrested soon.

In a separate incident, on October 8, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at nearly 40 locations across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and West Bengal as part of its ongoing Operation Chakra V. The raids were linked to a transnational cyber-enabled "digital arrest" fraud. During the operation, the CBI uncovered a widespread domestic network involved in supplying mule bank accounts and facilitating parallel hawala channels to layer and move proceeds of the crime.

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In a statement, the agency revealed that the fraud was being orchestrated from foreign locations, including Cambodia. The CBI registered a comprehensive FIR based on complaints from nine victims. A detailed investigation focusing on mule accounts and communication methods used to target victims led to the identification of nearly 40 individuals connected to the organised cybercrime network behind the digital arrest scam.