Surat: A 71-year-old man lost Rs 5 lakh in a cyber fraud after allegedly clicking on a malicious APK file masquerading as a Punjab National Bank application.The victim, who runs a pesticides business in Sardar Market, received a file named “PNB One.apk” from an unknown number on WhatsApp on May 15. Believing it was a legitimate banking application, he clicked on the file, which was downloaded onto his mobile phone.When he checked the sender’s profile picture, it appeared to belong to one Akhilesh Mishra from Punjab National Bank. The trader did not suspect foul play and ignored the message thereafter.Three days later, on May 18, he received alerts from Prime Co-Operative Bank informing him that Rs 2 lakh, Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh had been debited from his account in separate transactions.The trader immediately approached the bank and took steps to stop further transactions. He later contacted Adajan police, who advised him to file a complaint through the national cybercrime helpline, 1930.Based on the complaint lodged, a formal cheating complaint was filed with Surat Cybercrime Police on Wednesday.Preliminary investigation suggests the money was transferred to an account in Union Bank of India.
