Cybercrime police in Jharkhand’s Jamtara have arrested two men accused of impersonating bank officials and targeting customers through fraudulent credit-card calls and malicious mobile applications.
The accused, identified as Wajid Ansari and Hasbul Ansari, were arrested from Sugapahari under Karmatar police station limits following a police raid. Officers seized six mobile phones, nine SIM cards, seven ATM cards and a PAN card from their possession.
According to investigators, the suspects allegedly posed as representatives of the State Bank of India and other banks, contacting customers with warnings that their credit cards could be blocked or offering assistance with new cards. Victims were subsequently persuaded to download APK files on their Android devices.
Police suspect these applications were designed to access confidential information stored on victims’ phones, potentially exposing their banking details and other sensitive data to financial fraud.
The case highlights a growing cybercrime tactic in which fraudsters exploit routine banking concerns to convince customers to install unauthorised applications. Once installed and granted permissions, malicious software can potentially access messages, notifications and other information that criminals may use to facilitate unauthorised transactions.
Investigators are examining the seized devices, SIM cards and banking-related material to establish the extent of the alleged operation and identify possible associates.
Police said the suspected activities extended to customers across multiple states. However, the number of victims and the total financial losses have not yet been established.
Authorities have advised credit-card users to verify unexpected calls through official banking channels and avoid installing applications or APK files shared by unknown callers.
