Mumbai: Woman Police Constable Falls Victim to APK Scam, ₹12.5 Lakh Loan Taken in Her Name

In a shocking case of cyber fraud reported from Vikhroli, an unidentified cyber criminal allegedly hacked the mobile phone of a woman police constable by sending an APK file and fraudulently availed a personal loan of approximately ₹12.5 lakh in her name. The Vikhroli Police have registered a case under cheating and relevant sections of the IT Act and have launched an investigation.

The incident has caused a stir within the police department, as the cyber fraudster specifically targeted a serving woman police personnel. Senior officers have taken serious note of the matter and have directed both local police and the cyber cell to conduct a parallel probe.

According to police sources, the complainant resides in Kannamwar Nagar area of Vikhroli and is currently posted as a police constable with the Mumbai Police at Vikhroli Police Station. On April 9, an amount of ₹27,832 was debited from her salary account. When she approached the bank for clarification, she was informed that the amount was an EMI deduction for a personal loan issued in her name. The constable denied taking any such loan, following which the fraud came to light.

Investigations revealed that on January 18, the victim had received a link for an APK file related to a traffic e-challan on a school WhatsApp group. She accidentally opened the link, after which her mobile phone was allegedly hacked and taken control of by the cyber fraudster. During this period, she did not receive any suspicious calls or messages, and even her new debit card stopped functioning.

Taking advantage of the compromised device, the accused allegedly secured a personal loan of ₹12,46,781 in her name. The entire amount was transferred to multiple bank accounts on the same day. Between February and April 2026, three EMIs amounting to ₹78,590 were also debited from her account.

Upon discovering the fraud, the complainant approached the Vikhroli Police and lodged a complaint. After verification, the police registered an FIR against the unknown accused and initiated a probe. Senior police officers have also directed the cyber cell to assist in the investigation.

Police are currently tracing the bank accounts where the loan amount was transferred and gathering details of the account holders. The incident has raised serious concerns within the police force regarding cyber security, especially after a serving officer herself fell victim to such a sophisticated fraud.