Pension Verification Scam: Retired Army Man Loses Rs 28.7 Lakh After Installing APK

Cyber fraudsters are finding new ways to target people by combining fake messages with phone calls from people impersonating bank officials. A new modus operandi involves sending messages that appear to be linked to pension verification or account formalities to lure the victim to install a malicious file on their phone.

In a recent case in Pune, a 65-year-old retired army man lost Rs 28.70 lakh after responding to a message related to his pension verification. The money was subsequently transferred from his accounts in nine transactions over a course of three hours.

The incident happened on September 11, 2026, when the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. According to a report by India Today, the message directed him to install an APK file named Pension Card Verification Retired Personnel on his mobile. Believing it was related to his pension, he downloaded and opened the file.

How Did The Fake Pension Verification Scam Work?

The file installation was followed by a phone call from another number. The caller claimed to be a bank employee and offered to help with pension related formalities. The man was asked to keep his phone switched on while the supposed verification process continued. He then started receiving OTPs on his mobile.

Instead of asking him to disclose the codes, the caller reportedly told him not to share the OTPs with anyone, making the victim believe it was a genuine call from a bank official.

How The Victim Lost Rs 28.70 Lakh

The fraud became apparent when transaction alerts began appearing on the man’s phone. Money was transferred from his pension and savings accounts, with the total loss reaching Rs 28.70 lakh. Police said the amount moved through nine transactions in around three hours. The Incident involved several stages rather than a single fraudulent transaction: an unsolicited WhatsApp message, a pension-related APK, a caller posing as a bank employee, and continued communication while the transactions took place.

The retired Army man later informed his daughter after noticing the transactions. She helped him report the matter through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The incident also highlights how a message linked to a familiar service, such as pension verification can be used to initiate a larger cyber fraud.

Police suspect the APK was linked to a remote-access fraud. Such scams can involve malicious applications that are used to obtain access to a device or sensitive information after the victim installs the file on his/her mobile.