Ahmedabad: A few minutes spent watching a Facebook reel cost a 70-year-old Ghatlodia resident Rs 6.7 lakh after an APK file was allegedly downloaded on his phone while he was scrolling through the platform. The file allowed fraudsters to gain access to the device and conduct multiple bank transactions.A complaint was registered on Saturday with the city cybercrime police by the man’s son.The complaint said the senior’s phone malfunctioned while he was watching reels.Later that evening, a family member checked the phone, located the APK file, and deleted it before restarting the device. The phone subsequently appeared to function normally.However, the next day, the victim started receiving multiple bank debit alerts. He contacted his bank, which advised him to freeze the account and disable online banking. He was also told to contact the cybercrime helpline.The victim subsequently discovered that the automatic payment facility had been activated on his mobile.According to the complaint, 12 transactions had been carried out from his two bank accounts on Sept 9, totalling Rs 6.7 lakh.
