The Indian Express ·
Retired soldier in Pune clicks ‘pension verification’ link, loses Rs 28 lakh
The senior citizen from Shirur fell victim to a remote-access cyber fraud after downloading an APK file sent by an unknown WhatsApp number.
One WhatsApp message about pension verification, one click, and a string of OTPs later, a 65-year-old retired Army soldier from Shirur in Pune district saw Rs 28 lakh drained from his bank accounts over just a few hours, the police said.
The message led the senior citizen to download an APK file—used to install applications on Android phones—triggering what the police suspect was a remote-access cyber fraud.
On the morning of September 11, the retired soldier received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, followed by a link to a file titled “Pension Card Verification Retired Personnel”. Believing it to be related to his Army pension, he downloaded and opened the APK file.
