Amresh Parab
Panaji
A Google search for an alternative contact number to book a doctor’s appointment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim, proved costly for a 71-year-old retired employee from Porvorim, who reportedly lost over Rs 1.93 lakh to an online fraud.
Out of the total defrauded amount of Rs 1,93,096, Porvorim police managed to put Rs 44,841 on hold as a lien amount. The police have registered an FIR and are further investigating the case.
The incident occurred when the victim was attempting to book an appointment at GMC. Finding the official line busy, he searched for an alternative contact number on Google search engine.
Unaware that he was being lured into a trap set by cybercriminals, the man dialled a number displayed on his mobile phone screen. The fraudster then shared a malicious Android Package Kit (.APK) file under the pretext of facilitating the appointment booking. The victim clicked on the link and followed the provided instructions, only to realise he had been scammed after receiving SMS alerts indicating that funds had been debited from his bank
account.
According to the police, cybercriminals routinely utilise search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques or purchase sponsored advertisements to push fraudulent customer care numbers to the top of Google search results, making them appear legitimate to unsuspecting users.
While this marks the first such case directly linked to GMC, a senior police officer said that it falls under a common category known as APK fraud, with multiple cases reported across Goa.
In these scams, fraudsters distribute malicious APK files, often disguised as legitimate documents or updates, via messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Once installed, these files can grant scammers remote control over the device, leading to the theft of sensitive banking credentials and financial losses.
