A 36-year-old resident from Yousufguda, Hyderabad, recently experienced a significant financial loss of nearly ₹2 lakh due to an elaborate online grocery scam. This incident involved a fraudulent website impersonating a popular grocery delivery service, and the use of a malicious application package (APK) file.
The victim initially placed an order on September 30 through an online grocery site that lured him with unusually low prices. A couple of days later, he received a call from someone pretending to be a customer care executive for the grocery service. This imposter informed him about a “pending payment” and promptly sent an APK file via WhatsApp, instructing him to install it to complete the transaction.
Trusting the caller and believing the app was legitimate, the victim proceeded to install the file and made a small payment of ₹360 as instructed. Shortly after this, he was shocked to receive an SMS alert indicating a large, unauthorized debit from his credit card. What made the situation particularly alarming was that the transaction was successfully processed despite him not sharing any One-Time Password (OTP).
Further investigation revealed a critical breach: call forwarding had been activated on his mobile phone without his knowledge or consent. This allowed the fraudsters to intercept any sensitive communications, including potential OTPs or transaction alerts, giving them full control over his banking information. In total, a staggering ₹1,97,497 was siphoned from his account.
Following the distressing incident, the victim lodged a formal complaint with the cybercrime wing of the Hyderabad police. Authorities have since registered a case and initiated a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible for this sophisticated fraud.
In light of this incident and similar growing threats, law enforcement agencies are strongly urging the public to exercise extreme vigilance when conducting online transactions. They advise against downloading any unknown applications from unverified sources or clicking on suspicious links that may be shared through messaging platforms. Staying alert and cautious is paramount to safeguarding personal finances in the digital age.