Rs.64 Crores Fraud By 121 Fake Apps: 18-Year-Old Mastermind Arrested

An 18-year-old boy was arrested for creating 121 fake banking and government apps that allegedly helped cybercriminals steal over Rs.64 crore from thousands of people across India.

A cyber fraud case has come to light after an 18-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly creating fake banking and government mobile apps that were used to steal money from people across India.

The investigation began in May 2026 when a man from Surat, Gujarat, received a WhatsApp message containing an APK file claiming to be the official PNB One banking app. After installing it, hackers gained access to his mobile phone. Within a short time, Rs.5 lakh was transferred from his bank account without his permission.

The victim immediately reported the fraud to the National Cybercrime Helpline and the Surat Cyber Crime Cell. During the investigation, police traced the case to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and on 20 July arrested 18-year-old Rohit Virendra Singh Shakya from a hotel there.

Police said Rohit had studied only till Class 11 before dropping out of school. According to investigators, he started creating fake and harmful mobile apps at the age of 16. He reportedly learned coding through YouTube videos and used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to help develop the apps. He then supplied these fake apps to cybercriminals through Telegram.

During the raid, police seized his laptop, mobile phones and other digital devices. Investigators found that he had created 121 fake apps that closely looked like genuine apps of Punjab National Bank (PNB), State Bank of India (SBI), Axis Bank, UCO Bank, American Express, BigBasket, PM Kisan and RTO e-challan services.

Police said these fake apps were downloaded more than 21,600 times across India. Around 2,928 mobile phones were reportedly compromised, and victims are believed to have lost about Rs.64.38 crore through more than 54,000 fraudulent transactions.

According to the investigation, Rohit created two types of apps. One was installed by victims without knowing it was fake. The second was used by cybercriminals to view OTPs, banking details and other sensitive information from the victim's phone in real time, making it easier to carry out fraudulent bank transactions.

Police also said Rohit supplied these fake apps to cybercrime gangs operating in Jamtara, Jharkhand, and to groups in Haryana and Rajasthan. He allegedly charged Rs.15,000 to set up the malware and another Rs.15,000 every month for updates and continued access to the fake apps.

The investigation is still ongoing, and police are trying to identify other people who may be involved in the cyber fraud network.

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