MADURAI: Police in Thoothukudi have launched an awareness campaign against online fraud, cautioning people to be wary of cybercrooks. A warning has been issued by the Thoothukudi District police regarding an ongoing fraud involving files named “RTO Traffic Challan.apk”, Superintendent of Police Albert John said.

The public was advised not to download an apk file received on WhatsApp from known or unknown numbers with names such as RTO Traffic Challan.apk or SBI Aadhar Update.apk. They were advised to delete it immediately.

Cybercriminals were sending such apk files claiming they would make your work easier or improve your banking services in order to tempt people into installing them, the police noted. If such an apk file is downloaded, mobile phones might be hacked, and all bank-related details, photos, and other data on the phone could be accessed and misused by cybercriminals to threaten or withdraw money from bank accounts without your permission, the police warned.

If anyone comes across such incidents of cybercrime, they can immediately file a complaint through the website cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the Cyber Crime Division at 1930, the SP said, adding that the complaints filed this way would be acted on promptly.