APK Scams drain victims’ bank accounts

Hyderabad authorities have reported a surge in financial frauds involving fake bank representatives and malicious APK files. Several residents fell victim after receiving calls from imposters claiming to represent banks or insurance companies.

In Shakker Gunj, a 58-year-old was duped by a caller posing as an SBI Credit Card officer who sent an APK for a charge waiver,’ leading to a fraudulent debit of Rs 1,72,899. A 45-year-old in Patel Nagar lost Rs 2,95,096 after entering card details into a WhatsApp link from a caller claiming to be from IDFC Credit Card, enabling unauthorized OTP transactions.

Similarly, a 48-year-old in Yakutpura installed a fake ‘RTO APK,’ allowing deductions of Rs 2,26,800. In Kalapathar, a 52-year-old was misled by a supposed insurance agent to install an IndusInd Credit Card APK, resulting in Rs 1,31,950 lost from multiple cards.

Authorities warn against sharing banking details or installing unknown APK files, as these remain the common entry points for such cyber frauds.