In Mumbai, a judge lost ₹93,000 after a fraudulent caller impersonated Samsung customer service. The judge installed an APK file and unknowingly authorized two transactions. Cybercrime cases in India have surged, causing significant financial losses.

In a shocking incident, a judge in Mumbai lost ₹93,000 from his bank account after falling victim to cyber fraud. According to an FIR filed by a judge at the small causes court in Mumbai, the incident occurred on March 30 after his Android smartphone developed a pink line on its display.

The judge said in his complaint that he searched online for Samsung India’s helpline number to get his Galaxy S22 fixed. According to the FIR, nobody answered the call because the line appeared busy.

Judge Scammed by ‘Customer Care Representative’

However, the judge later received a call from another number. A person on the call claimed to work as a Samsung customer care representative. After hearing the judge’s complaint, the caller asked him to install an APK file to register a service request.

After the judge installed the APK file, the caller asked him to transfer ₹20 through Google Pay in two ₹10 installments for verification. The judge said he transferred ₹20 through Google Pay. He then received a message saying the ‘request in progress.’

But the situation took an unexpected turn when the judge noticed two unauthorized transactions from his State Bank of India account. The transactions involved ₹90,000 and ₹3,000 through UPI.

After realizing that the caller had duped him, the judge reported the incident to the national cyber helpline. He also filed an FIR at Tardeo Police Station.

What Police Found

Based on the judge’s complaint, police registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. During the investigation, police found that the fraudster had transferred the stolen money to a PhonePe account in the name of Pappu Sachin Yadav.

Bombay HC Judge Lost ₹6 Lakhs

Last month, a Bombay High Court judge lost around ₹6 lakh in a cyber fraud case. The judge tried to redeem HDFC credit card reward points using a number he found online.

Rise in Cyber Fraud Cases in India

In recent years, cybercrimes have increased across India. These crimes include financial fraud, investment scams, identity theft, phishing attacks, and cyber arrests.