You can send almost anything on WhatsApp. Be it professional documents, massive files or even wedding cards. In fact, the concept of digital wedding cards has gained a lot of traction lately for digitally savvy people. However, for one government employee, a digital wedding invitation card turned into a devastating scam, stealing almost Rs 1.9 lakh! All at the click of a button!
The digital invitation scam on WhatsApp has been around for years, with authorities issuing multiple warnings to civilians. However, for a government employee who resides in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, this scam managed to trick him, eventually leading to a loss of Rs 1.9 lakhs from his bank account.
WhatsApp wedding card scam: How it unfolded
The victim received a message from an unknown number containing a cheerful invitation to a wedding. The message, complete with a date and a friendly greeting, was accompanied by a file that appeared to be a wedding card in PDF format. However, the file was a malicious Android Application Package (APK) cleverly disguised to look harmless to any unsuspecting user.
The moment the victim clicked on the file, the APK was installed on his phone. Post installation, the APK file gave scammers complete access to the phone. In a matter of minutes, the fraudsters were able to bypass security measures, gain access to his banking applications, and transfer the money out of his account.
Cyber cell registers complaint but…
Once alerted, the police have registered a case with the cyber cell department, but catching the criminals remains a challenge. Authorities have warned that this is not an isolated incident. Cyber police in Himachal Pradesh and other states had previously issued advisories about this scam, urging people to avoid downloading files from unknown numbers, even if they appear to be from a trusted source.
The scam works by preying on human trust and the common practice of sharing digital invitations. Once the malware is installed, criminals can monitor a victim’s phone, steal personal data, and even impersonate them to scam their friends and family.
How to stay safe from this WhatsApp scam
– You should never click on any file sent from an unknown/unsaved phone number on WhatsApp.
– You should always verify such a message prior to taking further action. Use third-party apps like Truecaller to verify the contact details prior to responding or opening the file.
– Avoid clicking on any APK file on Android devices. You should never install any file on your Android phone other than Google Play Store.
