Ghaziabad: A 41-year-old woman who clicked on an APK file believing it was a challan sent to her by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) became the latest victim of a cyber scam as scamsters hacked her phone and withdrew over Rs 6 lakh in two transactions. Sahibabad resident Priyanka Kulshreshtha, who works at a private company, claimed that she received an Android package kit (APK file)—RTO CHALLAN 299 RS.apk—on WhatsApp on Jan 22 and accidentally clicked the link that prompted her phone to install an application. Eleven days later, on Feb 2, Kulshreshtha suddenly realised that her phone had been hacked and two separate transactions made from her YES Bank account. “The first transaction was of Rs 2.5 lakh, and the second of Rs 3.7 lakh,” she said.Additional DCP (cyber) Piyush Kumar Singh said an FIR was registered at the Cybercrime police station against an unknown person under BNS section 318(4) (cheating) and relevant sections of the IT Act. Police contacted the bank to obtain details of the account to which Kulshreshtha’s money was transferred. They also informed the bank about the fraudulent transaction and asked them to block her account.According to police, the malware scam was being spread through WhatsApp, using a file named “RTO Traffic Challan.apk”. Cyber fraudsters send malicious APK files named to appear legitimate or affiliated with govt bodies. Once downloaded, it installs malware on the device that allows scammers to hack the phone, steal banking credentials/OTPs, and even spy on activities. Police said several victims were cheated using a similar modus operandi. On Jan 19, Lakshman Singh Negi, a Vaishali resident, reported that he had received an APK file on WhatsApp from an unknown number on Jan 14. After he clicked the file, a caller posing as a bank official contacted him about internet banking, following which Rs 15 lakh was siphoned off from his account. In another case on Nov 24, 2025, a 68-year-old city resident was duped of Rs 5.6 lakh on the pretext of updating his bank account. Three days later, a retired govt employee lost Rs 9 lakh to fraudsters impersonating bank officials. Similarly, on Nov 16, a 72-year-old Noida resident had his bank account hacked after clicking an APK file sent via WhatsApp.Banks have repeatedly warned customers against clicking such links, which typically claim to offer KYC updates or reward points, and advise users to avoid downloading unknown files.
