22-Year-Old Held for Hacking 4,000 eSewa Accounts, Stealing Over Rs 10 Million

A 22-year-old man has landed in police custody after allegedly hacking into thousands of eSewa digital wallets and siphoning off more than Rs 10 million.

Rahul Budha, originally from Kanchanpur and currently living in Anamnagar, Kathmandu, was arrested by the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office (KVCIO) from Kalimati on April 15.

Police say Budha used phishing tactics to carry out the digital theft. He sent fake SMS alerts under names like “The Alert” and “AT Alert,” tricking users into thinking their eSewa accounts were at risk of suspension. Through the link in the message, he managed to steal login credentials and gain access to over 4,000 accounts.

Investigations revealed that the stolen funds—amounting to Rs 10.2 million—were transferred to merchant accounts operated under the name Pashupati Global Innovation Pvt Ltd.

He has been handed over to the District Police Range, Bhadrakali for further legal proceedings.