Mumbai, April 1
In a concerning case of cyber fraud, a sitting judge of a city court in Mumbai was duped of Rs 93,000 by cybercriminals who used a malicious customer care application to gain access to his banking details.
The 46-year-old judge, posted at the Small Causes Court, sought technical assistance after noticing a display issue on his mobile phone on March 30. While searching online for help, he came across a contact number claiming to be that of Samsung customer care. Upon calling the number, he was connected to a fraudster posing as a customer support executive.
According to the Mumbai Police, the accused sent an APK file to the judge via WhatsApp and instructed him to download it. He was also asked to pay a nominal registration fee of Rs 20 through Google Pay. Unaware of the trap, the judge followed the instructions and installed the application. This allowed the fraudster to gain remote access to his mobile device and sensitive banking information.
Shortly thereafter, two unauthorised transactions amounting to Rs 93,000 were made from the judge’s State Bank of India (SBI) account. Realising the fraud, the victim approached the police.
The Mumbai Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Tardeo Police Station against an unidentified accused, and an investigation is currently underway.
In a separate incident on March 30, the police arrested a 25-year-old man from Jharkhand for allegedly duping a Bombay High Court judge of Rs 6.02 lakh in a cyber fraud case. The accused, identified as Mazhar Alam Israil Miyan, is a resident of Jamtara, a region often linked with cybercrime activities.
According to investigators, Alam was connected to at least 36 cyber fraud cases across 10 states. The arrest was carried out jointly by the Jamtara Cyber Cell and the Karmatand Police.
Meanwhile, another shocking case highlights the growing sophistication of cybercriminals.
A 69-year-old retired senior officer from the DN Nagar area of Andheri in Mumbai was reportedly placed under a so-called “digital arrest” for 25 days and defrauded of Rs 1.57 crore.
In this case, fraudsters posed as police and court officials and even staged a mock court hearing via video call, invoking the name of a former Supreme Court judge to intimidate the victim. Acting on the complaint, the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell arrested an auto-rickshaw driver, Ashok Pal, who allegedly allowed the accused to route the defrauded money through his bank account in exchange for a commission.
Police said the incident began on December 6, 2025, when the victim received a call from a man claiming to be a Department of Telecommunications official, alleging misuse of his mobile number and threatening legal action.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious while seeking online technical support and to avoid downloading applications or sharing sensitive information with unverified sources.
