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18-Year-Old Dropout Busted in ₹64 Crore AI Cyber Fraud Scheme
Public Lokpal
July 22, 2026
18-Year-Old Dropout Busted in ₹64 Crore AI Cyber Fraud Scheme
Surat Police’s Cyber Crime Cell has arrested Rohit Virendrasinh Shakya, an 18-year-old Class 11 dropout from Kanpur, for masterminding an AI-powered cyber fraud network that siphoned off over ₹64.38 crore across India.
Self-taught in coding by age 16, Shakya used AI tools to develop 121 malicious Android apps mimicking trusted banks, government portals, and RTO services. Operating a Software-as-a-Service model, he leased these fake apps to cybercriminals in Jamtara, Haryana, and Rajasthan for ₹15,000 monthly.
The malware infected over 21,000 devices, allowing fraudsters to intercept OTPs and harvest banking credentials in real time, triggering more than 54,000 fraudulent transactions.
The scam unraveled after a Surat resident lost ₹5 lakh to a fake "PNB One" app received on WhatsApp. Police tracked the digital trail to Kanpur, seizing laptops, phones, and digital evidence used in the nation-wide syndicate.
