Kochi: A nationwide cyber fraud gang that operated through a fake “Parivahan” mobile application has been arrested by the Kochi Cyber Police from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
The fraudsters tricked victims by sending fake APK files via WhatsApp under the pretext of paying vehicle fines through Parivahan, a digital platform created by the Union Ministry of Transport to provide various transportation-related services to citizens of India.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Atul Kumar Singh (32) and Manish Yadav (24), both residents of Uttar Pradesh. The gang collected vehicle information using a Telegram bot. The brain behind the fake application was a 16-year-old relative of Manish Yadav.
An Ernakulam native had registered a complaint on the NCRP (National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal) stating that Rs 85,000 was defrauded through a fake Parivahan link. Based on this complaint, Kochi Cyber Police registered an FIR and arrested the accused with the help of digital evidence. The investigation team included Inspector Shameer Khan and police officers Arun, Ajith Raj, Nikhil George, Alfit Andrews, and Sharafudheen.
The accused were found in possession of data related to over 2,700 vehicles from Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
In case of similar online financial frauds, the public is advised to immediately contact the toll-free cybercrime helpline 1930 or report via the official portal: https://cybercrime.gov.in/
