Mumbai SIR Fraud: Cybercriminals Target Senior Citizens With Fake Election Commission Calls, APKs; Steal Over ₹30 Lakh

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of Mumbai's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter registration to target elderly residents, especially senior citizens, through fraudulent phone calls and malicious APK files. According to Mumbai Police, fraudsters have allegedly impersonated officials from the Election Commission and cheated victims of more than ₹30 lakh by alleging discrepancies in their voter records.

In one incident, 66-year-old retired bank employee Shailesh Pandurang Kulkarni was contacted on August 25 by someone claiming to be from the Election Commission's Mumbai office. The fraudster informed Kulkarni of an error in his electoral roll details and requested payment of ₹5 to rectify it. He was then sent an APK file, which enabled the criminals to steal ₹4.65 lakh from his account and ₹2.36 lakh from his sister's account.

Another victim, 79-year-old Chembur resident Manjeri Subramanyam Krishnamurthy, received a call on August 1 from fraudsters claiming his voter records listed an old address. They claimed their team was assisting citizens in completing SIR forms and sent him an APK file. The accused allegedly accessed Krishnamurthy's financial information and withdrew ₹11.28 lakh using the credit card attached to his savings account.

A similar case was reported by 77-year-old retired BARC doctor Dr Pratap Bongirwar to the Trombay police. On July 30, fraudsters sent him a link alleging that his name and his father's name did not match the electoral records. Upon following their instructions, ₹6.71 lakh was transferred from his bank account.