An 18-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, who studied only up to Class 11, has been arrested by the Surat Cyber Crime Police for allegedly developing 121 malicious Android application package (APK) files that were used by the Jamtara cyber fraud network to dupe nearly 3,000 people across India of more than ₹65 crore.
According to a report by The Times of India, the accused, identified as Rohit Shakya, allegedly taught himself to create malicious APK files using YouTube tutorials and AI tools before selling them to cybercriminals through a subscription model for ₹15,000 per APK per month.
The investigation began after a Surat resident downloaded a fake PNB One mobile application and lost ₹5 lakh from his bank account.
Quoting Additional Commissioner of Police Karanraj Vaghela, The Times of India reported, “Based on the complaint, we traced the developer of the fake application.”
Vaghela further said, “The accused, identified as Rohit Shakya, 18, a resident of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, developed 121 malicious APK files that were supplied to the Jamtara gang. These apps were downloaded by over 21,000 users and were allegedly used to cheat 2,928 people of around ₹65 crore.”
Fake Apps Downloaded By Over 21,000 Users
Police said the fake APK files were downloaded by 21,672 users, while 2,928 victims allegedly lost around ₹65 crore after installing the malicious applications.
According to investigators, Shakya had allegedly been developing malicious APK files for the past two years. He is accused of using freely available YouTube tutorials and AI-based tools to create fake applications before selling them to cybercriminals on a monthly subscription model.
Fake Banks, Government Schemes Used To Trick Users
The fake applications impersonated well-known banks, government schemes and popular brands, including PNB One, SBI, Axis Bank, UCO Bank, American Express, BigBasket, DMart, PM-Kisan, Pension, RTO Challan, Campa and customer support applications.
Investigators said these applications were designed to look legitimate and convince users to install them, allowing cybercriminals to allegedly steal sensitive information and carry out financial fraud.
Don't Rent Your Bank Account! Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Warn Students And Youth As Cyber Fraud Cases RiseAccused Arrested From Kanpur Hotel
Police arrested Shakya from a hotel in Kanpur, where he had reportedly gone to meet his girlfriend. The investigation into the cyber fraud network is ongoing.
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