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Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
Two men arrested for duping man of 11 lakh in cyber fraud
New Delhi: Two men were arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving a theft of nearly Rs 11 lakh after posing as bank officials. The accused, identified as Shankar Dan (27) and Pradeep Kumar Dan (26), both residents of Dhanbad in Jharkhand, sent a APK — an Android Package file that installs an app on phones — to dupe the target. The complainant alleged that he received a phone call from an unknown number on June 30. The caller, introducing himself as a bank official, informed the complainant about bounced cheques. Under the pretext of verifying cheque images, the fraudster sent a malicious link to the complainant's WhatsApp. Upon opening the link and installing the attached APK file, the complainant did not find any cheque images as claimed. On suspecting fraud, he immediately disconnected the call, deleted the link and switched off his phone. However, after restarting the device, the complainant began receiving multiple SMS alerts regarding password changes and unauthorised financial transactions. "He lost Rs 10.6 lakh and a case was registered," police said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi DCP (southwest) Amit Goel said raids were conducted in various districts of Dhanbad, leading to Shankar's arrest. Pradeep was arrested from Tarapith in West Bengal. Shankar, who was the primary caller, randomly entered mobile numbers into an online payment app to reveal the bank associated with each number. Using this information, he contacted victims by impersonating a bank representative or manager. TNN
Hans India
24-07-2025
- Hans India
Cyber fraud busted: Two arrested for duping Delhi man of Rs 10.64 lakh via malicious app
New Delhi: In a breakthrough against rising cyber frauds, the Cyber Police Station of South-West Delhi has arrested two cyber criminals from Jharkhand for cheating a Delhi resident of Rs 10.64 lakh through a malicious mobile application (APK file). The accused, identified as Shankar Dan (27) and Pradeep Kumar Dan (26), both residents of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, were arrested following extensive raids conducted across Jharkhand and West Bengal. According to police, the duo used to impersonate bank representatives and lure victims by sending fake APK files via WhatsApp, which gave them unauthorised access to bank accounts. In this case, the victim received a call on June 30 from someone claiming to be an SBI official, citing issues with cheque clearance. The caller sent a malicious file under the pretext of verifying cheque images. After installing the app, the victim's phone was compromised, and unauthorised transactions worth Rs 10.64 lakh were made from his Bandhan Bank account. The money was routed through the BillDesk payment platform to Axis Bank credit cards and Google Ads, and later withdrawn using third-party apps like CRED and MobiKwik. Police recovered six smartphones, including the device used to make the call and one used to operate the BillDesk app. The devices contained credit card data, banking credentials, and malware. Shankar Dan, who has studied till class 3 and owns a mobile shop, was previously involved in two cyber fraud cases and one murder case. He was responsible for calling victims and sending the malicious links. Pradeep, educated till class 8 and an accused in a murder case, managed the financial transactions. The investigation is ongoing, and police suspect the involvement of a larger cyber syndicate operating from forested areas to evade detection.
News18
24-07-2025
- News18
2 held for posing as bank officials, cheating Delhi man of over Rs 10 lakh
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Two men have been arrested for allegedly duping a Delhi resident of Rs 10.64 lakh by posing as bank officials, police said on Thursday. Shankar Dan (27) and Pradeep Kumar Dan (26) used a payment gateway app to randomly enter mobile numbers and identify the names of the banks associated with the numbers, they said. Shankar would then call unsuspecting individuals, impersonate as bank representatives, and send them malware-laced files. The accused claimed to procure SIM cards from Jamtara and used locally acquired credit cards for the fraud, they said. 'On June 30, they called the complainant posing as bank officials and told him that two cheques issued from his account had bounced and requested him to verify the cheque images. A link containing a malicious file was then sent to the complainant on WhatsApp," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said. The victim downloaded and installed the file but didn't find any cheque image as claimed by the fraudsters. Sensing something suspicious, he deleted the link and switched off his phone, he said. However, on restarting the device, he received multiple SMS alerts regarding password changes and unauthorised financial activity, the officer added. An investigation revealed that two fixed deposits of Rs 5.62 lakh and Rs 4.54 lakh had been prematurely closed, and an additional Rs 48,600 had been debited. The total loss amounted to Rs 10.64 lakh, the police said. 'Subsequent probe found that the OTPs generated during the fraudulent transactions were diverted to an unknown mobile number, allowing the accused to gain unauthorised access to the complainant's account," the DCP said. The cheated amount was first transferred to an online payment gateway, and then used to pay credit card dues and make purchases. 'The funds were further withdrawn using mobile payment apps or used to buy gift cards," the DCP said. Based on technical surveillance, the accused were tracked to Dhanbad and police conducted raids across Jharkhand, eventually nabbing Shankar Dan from his native village. Four mobile phones were recovered from his possession, including the calling device, he said. Acting on his disclosure, police arrested co-accused Pradeep Kumar Dan in West Bengal's Birbhum. Two mobile phones, including the one used to access the mobile application during the fraud, were seized from him. The police said that the defrauded amount was routed through a layered payment structure to avoid detection. Shankar, a school dropout who ran a mobile phone shop in his village, is previously involved in two cybercrime cases and a murder case, the police said, adding that he lived a lavish lifestyle funded by the proceeds of fraud. Pradeep, who studied up to class 8, operated a payment gateway app to transfer the money from hacked bank accounts to credit cards. He is also reportedly involved in a murder case. A case under relevant sections of the BNS has been registered. Further investigation is underway to trace other members of the syndicate and identify additional victims. PTI SSJ NB view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
24-07-2025
- NDTV
2 Arrested By Delhi Police For Bank Scam, 6 Phones Recovered
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrested two cybercriminals accused of impersonating bank officials and defrauding people of their money. The two were identified as Shankar Dan, 27, and Pradeep Kumar Dan, 26. Both are residents of Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Shankar Dan was arrested in Jharkhand, Pardeep was held in West Bengal's Birbhum. A team from the Cyber Police Station of South-West District arrested the two following a complaint filed on June 30. With their arrest, six smartphones, including the calling device and the device which was used for running the billdesk application during fraud, have been recovered. The police in a media statement on Thursday said that a case of cyber financial fraud was registered based on a complaint wherein the complainant alleged that on June 30, he received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller falsely introduced himself as an SBI Bank official and informed the complainant about bounced cheques. Under the pretext of verifying cheque images, the fraudster sent a malicious link to the complainant's WhatsApp. Upon clicking the link and installing the attached .APK file, the complainant did not find any cheque images as claimed. Realising something was suspicious, he immediately disconnected the call, deleted the link, and switched off his phone. However, after restarting the device, the complainant began receiving multiple SMS alerts regarding password changes and unauthorised financial transactions. It was later found that two of his fixed deposits -- worth Rs 5,62,000 and Rs 4,54,000 had been prematurely closed. Additionally, an amount of Rs 48,600 was debited through Google Ads. The police said that investigation revealed that the OTPs generated during these transactions were diverted to an unknown number. In total, the complainant suffered a financial loss of Rs 10.64 lakh from his Bandhan Bank account due to this fraudulent activity. After preliminary enquiry, a case vide FIR No. 007/2025, U/s 318(4)/319(2)/340 BNS was registered at Police Station Cyber South West, and investigation was taken up. The police statement said that the investigation primarily focused on tracing the money trail and identifying the alleged calling number used in the offence. "It was revealed that the defrauded amount of Rs 10.64 lakh was initially transferred from the complainant's Bandhan Bank account to the BillDesk platform (an online payment gateway) through unauthorised access via a malicious link/.APK file. The funds were subsequently utilised for payments towards an Axis Bank credit card and Google ADS services," read the statement. On the basis of technical analysis and data obtained from BillDesk, it was found that a particular mobile number and device were active in the area of Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Further analysis confirmed that the alleged calling number was also operational in the same area. The police said that a team was constituted and raids were conducted in various districts of Dhanbad. The team pursued the accused for several days, and with the help of local and technical intelligence, the team successfully apprehended Shankar Dan. "Four mobile phones, including the calling device, were recovered from his possession. Subsequently, based on his disclosure and technical inputs, Pradeep Kumar Dan was arrested from Tarapith, District Birbhum, West Bengal, after raids were conducted in Bokaro, Ranchi, and Dhanbad. Two mobile phones were recovered from his possession, including the device used to operate the BillDesk application during the fraud on 30.06.2025," the police said. The police said that during sustained interrogation, Shankar Dan confessed that he used Amazon Pay to identify potential victims. He randomly entered mobile numbers into the Amazon Pay app, which revealed the bank associated with each number. Based on this information, he contacted the victims, impersonating a bank representative or manager. He would inform the victims about fabricated issues such as KYC updates, credit/debit card problems, or cheque bounces. "In this particular case, he informed the complainant about a bounced cheque and subsequently sent a malicious .APK file/link via WhatsApp, claiming it contained images of the bounced cheque. Once the victim installed the application, unauthorised access to the bank account was obtained. He then transferred the cheated amount from the complainant's account to the BillDesk application. The money was further routed to Axis Bank credit cards (specifically procured for fraudulent purposes) and used for settling bills on Google ADS services." The funds were later withdrawn from these credit cards using third-party apps such as CRED and MobiKwik, and also utilised for purchasing gift cards. During the probe, Shankar Dan further disclosed that the SIM cards used in the fraud were procured from Jamtara, and the .APK file was arranged through WhatsApp. The credit cards were provided by co-accused individuals to receive the cheated funds. The accused claimed he received a hefty commission of 50 per cent for his role in the fraud. He earned approximately Rs 5 lakh, and the remaining amount was distributed among other members of the syndicate. Shankar Dan primarily handled calling the victims. He, along with his associate Pradeep and others, was actively involved in the criminal operation. They operated from forested areas near their village to evade detection. During interrogation, accused Pradeep Kumar Dan also admitted to active involvement in the crime. He was responsible for operating the BillDesk application during the fraud. He worked closely with Shankar Dan. After victims were deceived over calls and access to their bank accounts was obtained, Pradeep transferred the money from the bank accounts to the BillDesk platform and subsequently to Axis Bank credit cards. He received a 20 per cent commission for his role in the fraud, said the police.
