Free Movie App Costs Thane Woman Rs 2.77 Lakh

Thane: A 36-year-old woman’s quest to watch free movies on her smartphone turned into a nightmare when she was duped of Rs 2.77 lakh by unidentified cybercriminals. The resident of Charai, Thane, approached the Naupada police station to lodge a formal complaint after discovering a series of unauthorised transactions from her credit card account.

According to details provided by police, the incident occurred on the evening of May 23, 2026, when the complainant searched for a platform to stream movies on Google. During her search, she encountered a link for an application identified as “tubifreemovies-apk.” Lured by the prospect of free content, she downloaded and installed the application on her device without suspecting any danger. The investigation revealed that by installing the malicious software, the victim unwittingly provided an opening for cybercriminals to access her financial details. Using technical methods, the perpetrators gained unauthorised access to her credit card information and carried out four separate transactions in quick succession, siphoning a total of Rs 2,77,500 from her ICICI Bank account. The funds were transferred to an account ending in 10017 without her knowledge or consent.

The Naupada police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. A police team is actively investigating the online fraud, and efforts are on to trace the accused.

Police have once again cautioned citizens against downloading suspicious third-party applications or clicking on unverified links that promise free premium content, as these are frequently used as baits for sophisticated cyber heists.