Fake APK invite drains Rs 2L from Belagavi woman’s account

Belagavi: In a cyberfraud case, a 49-year-old woman from Belawadi village in Bailhongal taluk lost Rs 2.2 lakh after opening a malicious APK file sent to her mobile phone.Police said the victim, identified as Marigoudar, received a file titled ‘Wedding Card' from an unknown number. Mistaking it for a genuine invitation, she downloaded and opened the APK file. After that her phone started working in an unusual way, indicating a possible malware intrusion.Investigators suspect that the fraudulent application enabled cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive data, including mobile banking credentials, OTPs or other confidential information. Subsequently, a total of Rs 2,17,705 was siphoned off from her bank account through multiple online transactions carried out between March 30 and April 2.The fraud came to light when the victim received transaction alerts from her bank. After which she immediately contacted the national Cybercrime Helpline (1930) and later filed a formal complaint with the Belagavi District Cyber Police on April 4. Police have registered a case and started an investigation to trace the accused and track the diverted funds.This incident raises concerns over the rising number of cyberfraud cases in the region, particularly those involving malicious APK files disguised as legitimate documents or invitations. Police have urged citizens to avoid downloading files or applications from unknown sources and to remain vigilant while handling unsolicited digital content.