Delhi Police has arrested three accused from Ahmedabad in the APK based cyber fraud case. The victim was defrauded of Rs 6.57 lakh. During the investigation, a trail of about Rs 4 lakh reached the credit cards associated with the accused.
New Delhi: Cyber Police Station of South District of Delhi Police has exposed the alleged network of APK based cyber fraud and forwarding the fraud amount through different credit cards. Police have arrested three accused from Ahmedabad in this case. 11 credit cards and three mobile phones have been recovered from the possession of the accused. According to the police, people associated with the gang allegedly forwarded the money received from cyber fraud through banking channels and took commission in return.
Investigation started on fraud of Rs 6.57 lakh
The case pertains to alleged cyber fraud of Rs 6.57 lakh from a person. According to the police, a fake link was sent to the victim Vikas Kumar through SMS. Through the link he was prompted to download the APK file. After this he was subjected to cyber fraud.
After receiving the complaint, an e-FIR was registered in the Cyber Police Station of South District on 21 May 2026 and investigation was started. Police analyzed banking records, money transactions and technical information in the case.
According to the police, during the investigation, out of the total amount of fraud, a trail of about Rs 4 lakh reached two credit cards linked to the accused through two transactions. On the basis of this financial trail, the investigation was taken forward and action was taken in Ahmedabad.
Three accused arrested from Ahmedabad
Police have arrested Mohammad Ismail Ansari, Sheikh Mohammad Nureen and Tariq Ahmed in the case. All three are said to be residents of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Police recovered 11 credit cards and three mobile phones from them. The investigating agencies are now trying to find out in how many transactions these cards were allegedly used and how many other people are connected to this network.
Allegation of sending fraudulent amount through credit card
During the investigation, the police allegedly found out that the accused used to provide different credit cards and through them forward the money received through cyber fraud to banking channels. In return he is accused of getting commission.
According to the police, Mohammad Ismail Ansari is a contractual employee in IDBI Bank. He is accused of providing several credit cards to forward the money received from cyber fraud.
According to the investigation, Sheikh Mohammed Nureen and Tariq Ahmed were also allegedly involved in providing or arranging for credit cards on commission basis. These allegations are being investigated further.
Alleged handlers were associated with WhatsApp and Telegram groups
Technical investigation by the police also revealed that the accused were allegedly in touch with other handlers through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Investigation has revealed that some WhatsApp numbers linked to the network are linked to America.
Police are now trying to find out the identity of the people behind these numbers and their alleged role. The investigators are also focusing on what was the level of the network of the accused arrested in Ahmedabad and who were the people in contact with them.
How was the alleged fraud done through APK file?
According to the police, in this case APK based method was used for cyber fraud. APK i.e. Android Package Kit is the file format used to install Android apps. Generally, trusted sources are used to install an app, but cyber criminals can allegedly use fake messages and links to trick people into downloading suspicious APK files.
In this case also, it has come to light that the link was sent to the victim through a message. According to the police, the APK file was allegedly downloaded and installed in this manner.
In such cases, suspicious or unauthorized apps may try to gain unauthorized access to the mobile device and the sensitive information associated with it. Delhi Police's investigation has also revealed the use of APK based fraud by this network.
Investigation into converting the fraudulent amount into USDT also
During investigation, the police have reportedly found indications that the money obtained through cyber fraud was later converted into USDT. USDT is a cryptocurrency based digital asset, generally considered a stablecoin pegged to the value of the US dollar.
The police are also investigating the aspect of how the defrauded amount was forwarded and what was the role of cryptocurrency in the alleged network. However, the entire financial structure of this network and the identity of other people involved are still under investigation.
America related numbers also checked
According to Delhi Police, during technical investigation, some WhatsApp numbers linked to the network have been found to belong to America. Police are now trying to find out who was using these numbers and what was their role in the alleged cyber fraud.
An important part of the investigation is to identify the alleged international network. The police are also trying to find out how much money the arrested accused have sent through this method so far and whether there are other cases related to the allegations against them.
Police is investigating the connection of the entire network
At present the investigation is not limited to the alleged fraud of only Rs 6.57 lakh. Police are analyzing evidence from banking transactions, credit cards, mobile phones and digital communications.
The investigating agencies are also trying to find out how many credit cards were provided by the accused, how many transactions were made through these cards and who were the people involved in the alleged commission arrangement.
According to the police, the identity of the people behind the numbers said to be linked to America and the entire structure of the alleged network is under investigation. Further action in the case will be taken on the basis of available digital, banking and technical evidence.
Big cyber security warning for people
This case also underlines the need for caution regarding unknown links and APK files arriving on mobile. It is important to verify the source of an APK file received from an unknown person or suspicious message before downloading or installing it.
One should avoid clicking on unknown links especially in messages related to banking, payments or KYC. If any suspicious app has already been installed or unauthorized transactions appear in the bank account, it is important to immediately inform the concerned bank and the official cyber crime complaint mechanism.
The ongoing investigation by Delhi Police has resulted in three arrests, but the role of other members of the alleged network and US-linked numbers is still under investigation. Police have said that further investigation into the matter is ongoing.