Ahmedabad: In yet another alarming sign of how cybercrime networks keep refining their methods, several city residents have recently fallen prey to online scams.

In one incident, a woman from Navrangpura lost ₹1.43 lakh after receiving a message that appeared to come from the RTO, containing an APK file labeled ‘RTO Challan’. After downloading the file, her phone was flooded with OTPs and banking alerts revealing unauthorised transactions. Navrangpura police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

In another case, a toy merchant from Kalupur planning a trip to Daman lost ₹10,000. He found “Silver Sand Beach Resort” through an online search and was contacted by someone posing as the resort manager, who offered two rooms at a discounted price if paid online. After transferring the money, the contact stopped responding, leading him to approach Kalupur police.

Separately, Rajesh Dataniya (42), a printing press owner from Dariapur, was duped into paying ₹72,470 as a “security deposit” by fraudsters posing as Bajaj Finance officials who falsely promised him a ₹90 lakh home loan. Despite submitting documents and making the payment, the loan never materialised, and the callers became unreachable. Shahpur police are investigating.

In Sardar Nagar, Henisha Rathod was cheated out of ₹84,100 after responding to an online ad offering commissions for completing “simple tasks.” Initially, she received small payments to build trust, but later was asked to deposit larger sums under various pretexts. The promised commission was never paid, prompting her to file a complaint.

Police have urged citizens to stay vigilant: never download unknown APK files, always verify contacts and offers before sending money, and report any suspicious activity immediately to the cyber helpline or local police station.