Archive · 22 Jul 2026
Teen Arrested for ₹64 Crore AI-Driven Cyber Scam
An 18-year-old boy named Rohit Virendra Singh Shakya was arrested by the Surat Police for creating fake banking and government apps using AI.
These apps tricked people into giving away their bank details, leading to a huge scam worth ₹64.38 crore.
The boy learned to code from YouTube and sold these fake apps to cybercriminals for money.
Police found out after a businessman lost ₹5 lakh.
They traced the boy to a hotel in Kanpur and arrested him.
The boy might say he didn't mean to cause harm, but the police say his actions were very serious.
An 18-year-old from Uttar Pradesh was arrested for creating AI-driven fake banking apps.
The scam resulted in over ₹64.38 crore in fraudulent transactions.
The teenager developed 121 fake APK applications mimicking popular banking and government apps.
The malicious apps infected 21,672 mobile phones, leading to 54,000 fraudulent transactions.
The accused sold the malware to cybercriminals through a subscription-based model.
- Who
- Rohit Virendra Singh Shakya, an 18-year-old from Uttar Pradesh
- What
- Creation and distribution of malicious APK files mimicking banking and government applications
- When
- The investigation began after a businessman from Surat reported a fraud on an unspecified date
- Where
- Surat, Uttar Pradesh, Jamtara (Jharkhand), Haryana, Rajasthan
- Why
- To facilitate cyber fraud and steal banking credentials
Law Enforcement Perspective
Accused's Potential Defense
Nature of the Crime
Law Enforcement Perspective
The Surat Police allege that the teenager created and distributed malicious APK files that facilitated large-scale financial fraud.
Accused's Potential Defense
The accused might argue that he was unaware of the extent of the fraud or that he was coerced into creating the malware.
Use of AI
Law Enforcement Perspective
Law enforcement emphasizes that the use of AI tools to create sophisticated malware makes the crime particularly serious.
Accused's Potential Defense
The accused could claim that he used AI tools for educational purposes and did not intend to cause harm.
- Accused Name
- Rohit Virendra Singh Shakya
- Age
- 18
- Estimated Fraud Amount
- ₹64.38 crore
- Number of Fake Apps
- 121
- Number of Affected Devices
- 21,672
- Number of Fraudulent Transactions
- 54,000
- Subscription Fee
- ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month
