Kolkata: A young south Kolkata businessman fell victim to the .apk fraud and lost Rs 64 lakh. On Monday, the cops managed to arrest an accused from Barasat in this regard. The accused, Tanmoy Paul (34), claimed cops, was involved in a ticketing fraud and was arrested by Barasat Police earlier.
According to Joint CP (Crime) Rupesh Kumar, the fraud was reported in Oct. "The complainant joined a WhatsApp group created by the accused, in which he came in contact with different group members who induced him to part with stock trading with a false promise of higher returns. The accused induced the complainant to part with Rs 63,94,346 and have the money deposited in different bank accounts. The accused also used forged documents having names and logos of SEBI and US Securities and Exchange Commission," said Kumar.
"The victim searched social media for investment, and when he showed interest, he was added to a WhatsApp group. The victim was asked to download an app, modelled on a popular app. But in reality, it was a .apk file that allowed his phone to be accessed and controlled from a remote location. This app kept showing that all his investments were getting multiplied. Accordingly, the businessman kept making investments. But when he wanted his money back, he realised he was duped," said Abhishek Modi, DCP (Cyber).
"We lodged the case under sections 66C, 66D of the IT Act and sections 61(2)/318(4)/319(2)/336(2)/336(3)/338/340(2) of BNS. After a detailed probe, a raid was conducted at Barasat, and Tanmoy Paul of LIC Para was arrested," said Kumar.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.