Businessman loses ₹5.8 lakh in cyber scam in Bengaluru: Details here

The man residing in the New Thippsandra area received a fake Regional Transport Office e-challan APK file on the messaging platform from an unknown contact

A 64-year-old businessman in Bengaluru lost ₹5,81,500 after clicking on an e-challan APK file sent to him on WhatsApp, according to a report by The Hindu.

 

Ravi Kumar, residing in the New Thippsandra area, received a fake Regional Transport Office (RTO) e-challan APK file on the messaging platform from an unknown contact. As soon as he clicked on it, he lost ₹5,81,500 from two savings accounts.

 

Based on the victim Kumar's complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered against an unknown entity under the IT Act and section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the report said.

 

6,301 cybercrimes reported in Bengaluru

According to a report by The Times of India, Bengaluru has seen thousands of cybercrime cases this year. Data shared by Home Minister G Parameshwara in an assembly session last month showed that about 8,620 cybercrime cases were reported in the first seven months of 2025 in Karnataka. Of these, 6,301 were in Bengaluru. 

 

While cybercrimes are on the rise, the rate of punishment continues to stay low. According to the home ministry data, of the 53,000 cybercrime cases reported in Karnataka since April 2023, only 70 offenders were convicted.

What is the punishment for cybercrimes?

In India, the punishment for cybercrime depends on the nature of the offence. Cybercrimes are mainly covered under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 (as amended) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

 

While the punishment for minor cybercrimes such as hacking, unauthorised access carries three years jail terms and fines, serious offences, including financial fraud, child pornography, identity theft, cyber terrorism, can attract 5–10 years jail and heavy fines.