A 41-year-old deputy general manager of the Adani Group, who lives in Ahmedabad’s Chandkheda area, allegedly lost Rs 3.26 lakh after downloading a fake RTO e-challan APK file sent by an unidentified person, according to a report by Divya Bhaskar. The cybercrime police have begun investigating the complaint.
The incident involved a mobile application package, or APK file, presented to the victim as an RTO challan document. The manager reportedly believed the file was genuine and downloaded it on his phone after receiving it from an unknown sender a few days before filing the complaint.
After the file was downloaded, several applications on the phone reportedly began updating automatically. The manager then switched off the device immediately. He later turned the phone on again, according to the report.
The alleged unauthorised transactions were discovered later that evening when the manager received a bank message about a deduction of Rs 100 while he was out shopping. On checking his bank account, he found that an unidentified person had transferred Rs 3.26 lakh through multiple transactions.
The manager informed his bank about the transactions before approaching the cybercrime authorities. A complaint was subsequently registered, and the police have started examining how the APK file was delivered, what access it obtained on the phone and how the bank transfers were carried out.
The case highlights the risks that can arise when official-looking transport or enforcement notices are delivered through unofficial digital files. An APK file can install an application directly on an Android device, unlike an app downloaded through a formal application store. In this case, the report says the victim understood the file to be an original RTO challan document.
The alleged fraud also shows how a citizen interaction with a public service, such as an e-challan notice, can become an entry point for criminal activity when the communication channel is not verified. The report does not establish who sent the file, whether the sender impersonated a specific government agency or the precise technical mechanism used to access the phone and transfer the money.
The police investigation is expected to trace the transactions and identify the sender of the APK file. The bank’s response and transaction records are also likely to form part of the inquiry. No arrests or recoveries were reported in the supplied account.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the central allegations are based on the complaint filed by the Ahmedabad resident. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed further details about the accused or the recovery of the transferred amount.
