Chittoor Cyber Cell Recovers ₹2.22 Lakh Lost to Fake mParivahan App in Two Days
Chittoor police recovered ₹2.22 lakh stolen from a Somala resident via a fake mParivahan app within two days of the fraud.
The Chittoor District Cyber Cell has successfully recovered and returned ₹2,22,054 to a cyber fraud victim within just two days of the incident. The money had been siphoned off from the victim's ICICI credit card after he fell for a fraudulent message.
According to Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi, the victim, a resident of Somala village, received a text from an unknown sender claiming that a fine of ₹1,000 had been imposed on his tractor. Trusting the message, the man clicked on a link provided, which led to the installation of a fake application named 'mParivahan' on his phone.
Within minutes of the app being installed, a sum of ₹2,22,054 was debited from his credit card. Realising he had been duped, the victim immediately contacted ICICI Bank's customer care and also lodged a complaint with the national cybercrime helpline at 1930.
The Cyber Cell team responded promptly, halting the ongoing banking transactions and taking swift action to trace and freeze the funds. SP Dudi credited the quick recovery to the victim's immediate reporting and the police's rapid response.
Highlighting the importance of time in such cases, Mr. Dudi advised citizens not to panic after falling prey to cyber fraud. Instead, they should call the 1930 helpline without any delay. He noted that the chances of freezing the money and recovering it increase significantly if a complaint is filed immediately after the fraudulent transfer.
The SP also cautioned the public against opening messages, links, APK files, or suspicious apps received from strangers. Even communications that appear to be from official organisations should be opened only after verifying their authenticity.