Mumbai Cyber Fraud: Andheri Woman Loses ₹99,000 After Downloading Fake 'Urban Club' Cleaning App

Mumbai, June 9: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a woman from Andheri West was duped of ₹99,000 after downloading a fake mobile application under the pretense of booking an office cleaning service. The fraudulent platform, named ‘Urban Club’, is believed to be a spoof of the popular UrbanClap app, now known as Urban Company.

The victim, a diabetes educator by profession, was searching online for cleaning services when she came across the fraudulent platform. Soon after, she received a phone call from a man posing as a company representative who instructed her to download an app required for service booking.

To "activate" the service, she was asked to make two small payments — ₹600 and ₹9 — via Unified Payments Interface (UPI). She completed the transactions, unaware that the app contained malicious remote access software. This software allowed the fraudsters to mirror her phone activity and gain access to sensitive banking credentials.

The full extent of the fraud came to light the next day when the woman visited her bank for an unrelated matter and was informed that ₹99,000 had been withdrawn from her account without her authorization. She promptly filed a complaint at the Oshiwara Police Station.

According to a report by Lokmat Times, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those behind the scam.

A senior police official said, “The fraudulent app appears to have enabled remote access to the victim’s device. Through this, the accused could view OTPs, banking passwords, and other sensitive data. These types of scams are on the rise, and we urge citizens to download only verified applications from official app stores.”

The case has once again highlighted the dangers of downloading unauthorized or suspicious apps, particularly those promoted via unsolicited calls or messages. Cybersecurity experts warn that even a small transaction, such as ₹9 in this case, can be a gateway to significant financial losses when remote access tools are involved.