A 23-year-old homeopathy student in Surat allegedly lost ₹95,000 after downloading an application that promised free access to movies and web series, according to an FIR reported by the Times of India. The incident highlights how social-media advertisements can become entry points for unauthorised access to mobile phones and bank accounts.
The student, a resident of Katargam, came across the advertisement while browsing Instagram on October 22. The advertisement offered free movies and web series and redirected him to a website, where he was asked to install an application named ‘HOT Wave’ to access the content.
According to the complaint, the student downloaded the application and entered his personal details. He alleged that fraudsters subsequently gained access to his mobile phone and carried out unauthorised transactions from his State Bank of India account.
The student noticed on October 23 that ₹95,000 had been debited from his account without his knowledge or consent. The report did not specify how many transactions were made, the exact method used to obtain access to the device, or whether any amount had been recovered.
The case places a familiar urban digital-use pattern at the centre of the incident: residents increasingly discover entertainment, services and commercial offers through mobile platforms, while the transaction risk can extend beyond the application itself to the device and linked banking accounts. In this case, the alleged fraud began with an Instagram advertisement and continued after the installation of a third-party application.
The reported sequence also shows why the consequences of a digital scam are not confined to the online platform where a user first encounters an offer. Once an application is installed and personal details are entered, the alleged impact can move across the phone, banking credentials and financial accounts connected to the device. The FIR-based account, however, does not establish the precise technical mechanism through which the transactions were carried out.
The student’s complaint concerns unauthorised debits from his SBI account and identifies the ‘HOT Wave’ application as the route through which he allegedly encountered the fraud. The supplied report does not include a statement from State Bank of India, Instagram, the application’s operator or the investigating agency on the complaint, the transactions or any recovery action.
The reported next step is the investigation into the alleged cyberfraud and the unauthorised bank transactions. Further details about the accused, the application, the movement of the money and possible recovery were not available in the supplied account.
