Jaipur | Cyber fraudsters are exploiting the wedding season by targeting people through fake digital wedding cards on WhatsApp, Rajasthan police said on Saturday.
The cybercrime branch has issued an advisory urging people to remain cautious against such scams.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Cyber Crime) Shantanu Kumar Singh said fraudsters are sending malicious links and "APK" files in the name of wedding invitations, which can compromise personal data and even lead to bank fraud.
He said the scammers send a file named "marriage.apk" on WhatsApp.
"Once installed, the fraudsters gain control of the phone, enabling them to steal OTPs and access bank accounts," he said.
In another method, a web link titled as a wedding invitation is sent.
When opened, this link either asks users to enter mobile and banking details or secretly installs harmful software in the background, he added.
He said in some cases, fraudsters hack the accounts of known contacts and send messages, such as asking recipients to check wedding venue details, prompting them to click on the malicious link.
"If any file ends with '.apk', it is not an invitation card but a virus. It should never be installed," the DIG said.
He advised people to avoid clicking on suspicious or shortened links.
Mumbai | A nurse working at a private hospital in Mumbai was allegedly cheated of Rs 1 lakh after she tried to purchase a dress for Rs 299 online, police said on Saturday.
The nurse, who lives in a hostel in the city, lost the money between April 16 and April 20, said an official from Deonar police station.
In her complaint, the nurse said she came across an advertisement on Facebook offering dresses at just Rs 299. She then tried to buy one piece.
The person at the other end initially sought payment for the dress, but later “continued to extract money under various pretexts such as shipping charges, GPS charges, tracking fees, verification codes, and address confirmation”, the official said.
The nurse told the police that she sent Rs 1 lakh over five days, and she was repeatedly assured that most of the money would be refunded and the order would be delivered.
When nothing happened, she realised that she had been scammed. The nurse contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint. The Deonar police have registered a case and launched a probe, the official said.
Citing preliminary investigation, the official said the fraud was orchestrated using a Facebook advertisement, a WhatsApp number and a fake delivery agent.