A Mumbai Police constable lost over ₹7.5 lakh in an online fraud after clicking on a suspicious APK file shared in an official WhatsApp group. The incident has raised serious concerns about the misuse of trusted communication channels by cybercriminals.
The victim, Sachin Uttam Kashid, a 36-year-old constable posted at Trombay Police Station, fell prey to the fraud on July 22, 2025. Kashid has been with the Mumbai Police since 2016 and has been serving at Trombay since September 2024. He currently resides in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai.
According to his complaint, Kashid was part of a WhatsApp group named ‘Mohalla Committee Trombay’, created for coordination between local police officers and community members. On the afternoon of July 22, while he was on duty, a message was received in the group from an unknown number. The message contained an APK file titled ‘RTO Challan.apk’. Believing it to be legitimate, Kashid clicked on the file but did not notice any immediate changes and continued with his work.
However, a short while later, he began receiving multiple text alerts. Preoccupied with his duties, he did not check them right away. Around 5:53 PM, he received a message notifying him that a personal loan of ₹7,58,005 had been credited to his HDFC Bank salary account. Within minutes, two more messages followed — one showing a debit of ₹4,99,007.08 and another of ₹2,55,007.08 — both transferred through a payment system identified as CCAHPPAY. A total of ₹7,54,014.16 was siphoned from his account.
Realising he had become a victim of cyber fraud, Kashid immediately dialled the cyber crime helpline (1930) and registered a complaint on July 23. However, when he followed up on July 25, he was informed that his complaint had not been recorded due to technical reasons. A fresh complaint was then registered, and an acknowledgment number was issued.
During the initial investigation, police traced the number that had shared the malicious file. The individual revealed that their WhatsApp account too had been compromised after opening the same APK file, and that the message had been forwarded without their knowledge — indicating a potential malware attack that spreads automatically.
Kashid, in his statement, alleged that the accused individuals not only hacked his phone but also forged electronic documents in his name to fraudulently secure the loan, which was then quickly withdrawn through digital payment systems without his knowledge or consent.
A case of cyber fraud and criminal conspiracy has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Police are also examining whether a larger phishing network may be exploiting official communication groups to target unsuspecting users, including government personnel.