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Mumbai: In yet another alarming case of cyber fraud, a 35-year-old bag business owner from Kurla, Irfan Abdul Mannan Farooqui, lost Rs 1.62 lakh after clicking on a deceptive WhatsApp link disguised as a wedding invitation. The fraudsters used the link to hack his mobile phone and siphon off the money through unauthorized online transactions.
Deceptive WhatsApp Message From Known Contact
According to the Nagpada Police, Farooqui, who resides on Umarwadi Road in Kurla East and runs a bag business at B Block, Sirinbai Chawl, Madanpura, Mumbai, received a WhatsApp message on July 31 at 10:26 PM. The message, supposedly sent from a known contact Yahya Bhai, included a file named "Wedding Invitation.apk".
Phone Malfunctioned After Clicking Link
Trusting the source, Farooqui clicked the link. Almost immediately, his phone began to blink and behave abnormally for the next two to three days. He later showed the device to his nephew, Umar, who discovered that an app had been silently installed on the phone via the link, although it wasn’t visible on the screen.
Bank Accounts Debited Illegally
On August 4, Farooqui began receiving OTP from unknown sources like “Jio Mart”, “Navi" and "Akara”. He initially ignored them. The next day, he received a debit alert from his Indian Bank account showing a withdrawal of Rs 62,500. Fearing further unauthorized activity, he checked his Bank of Baroda account, only to find that ₹1 lakh had also been debited through two separate transactions.
Friend Admits His Phone Was Hacked
When confronted, Yahya Bhai, the original sender of the link, admitted that his own phone had been hacked and was non-functional for the past two days. Realizing he had been duped, Farooqui reported the fraud to the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and subsequently filed a formal complaint at the Nagpada Police Station.
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Case Registered Under BNS and IT Act
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bhartiy Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act, against unknown individuals, and further investigation is underway.
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