Dhanbad Digital Scam: 3.5 Lakh Victims Targeted by Malicious APK Files, Police Investigate

Dhanbad: Over 3.5 lakh people may have fallen victims to a digital scam perpetrated through malicious APK files, Dhanbad police said on Tuesday.

Cyber police had earlier arrested five persons, including two women, in this connection from Bishunpur. All were sent to judicial custody on May 18. Later, police took two accused, Bablu Kumar and Pintu Kumar, from Ahilyapur in Giridih district, on remand for detailed interrogation.

Dhanbad SP Prabhat Kumar said the accused had developed and circulated lakhs of APK files to cybercriminals operating across different states. Investigators said the accused embedded the malicious files in mobile apps featuring songs, children’s rhymes and entertainment content. Once downloaded, they reportedly gave cybercriminals remote access to victims’ mobile phones. The fraudsters then stole banking details, OTPs, digital wallet credentials and personal data to siphon off crores of rupees from victims.

Investigators also discovered that the gang allegedly trained cybercriminals through social media groups and online platforms on how to create and use malicious APK files.

A team from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has reached Dhanbad to assist in the investigation. The central team is jointly interrogating the accused and examining seized laptops, mobile phones, servers and digital records.