3 weeks ago
Nashik Businessman Loses ₹6 Lakh in Fake mParivahan APK Scam
A man who owns a fabric-making business got a strange text message on his phone.
The message said he had a traffic fine and included a link.
He didn't even own the car mentioned in the message.
Still, he clicked the link just out of curiosity.
That downloaded a bad app onto his phone.
The app let scammers watch his messages and take his money.
More than six lakh rupees were taken from his bank in one day.
He blocked his cards and told the police, who are now investigating.
The police also warned everyone not to click links from unknown messages.
A 28-year-old Nashik powerloom businessman lost more than ₹6 lakh after a fake mParivahan APK from an e-challan message was installed on his phone.
The victim received the message on July 31 with a vehicle number and a link, and clicked it out of curiosity even though he did not own the vehicle.
After the app NextGen_mParivahan.apk was downloaded, the victim's calls were forwarded to another number and money was debited in over a dozen transactions in a single day.
Mumbai Police registered a case under Sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act.
Maharashtra Cyber Police issued an advisory warning that fake RTO e-challan APK files can access SMS and OTPs and enable unauthorised transactions, WhatsApp compromise, and auto-forwarding of fraudulent messages.
- Who
- A 28-year-old powerloom businessman from Nashik; Mumbai Police registered the case and Maharashtra Cyber Police issued an advisory.
- What
- The victim lost more than ₹6 lakh after downloading a fake mParivahan APK from a fraudulent e-challan message, which allowed scammers to forward his calls and debit his bank account.
- Where
- Nashik and Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- When
- The fraudulent message was received on July 31; the case was reported around August 7, 2026.
- Why
- The victim clicked a suspicious link out of curiosity despite not owning the vehicle mentioned, which installed malware that enabled unauthorised transactions.
Key facts
- Victim
- 28-year-old powerloom businessman from Nashik
- Amount Lost
- More than ₹6 lakh
- Transactions
- Over a dozen in a single day
- Malicious App
- NextGen_mParivahan.apk
- Date of Message
- July 31
- Case Registered Under
- Sections 318 and 319 (BNS); Sections 66C and 66D (IT Act)
- Police Unit
- Mumbai Police
Quotes
Maharashtra Cyber Police
Cybercrime enforcement arm of Maharashtra Police
“"Victims receive fake traffic challan messages containing APK files, links, or PDFs. This is a very common trick used by scammers to sneak harmful apps past normal security checks. Once the APK file is clicked, the fraudster gains access to the SMS and OTPs on the infected phone and may enable auto‑debits from bank accounts, UPI, cards, or wallets even without the victim sharing OTPs."”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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