Are you opening forwarded Happy New Year messages without thinking? Wait, this could be a scam – ..

News India Live, Digital Desk: Today is the afternoon of 31st December 2025 and your phone must be flooded with notifications. “Look (आपका नाम) has sent something special for you” or “Click on this magical link and see what 2026 has in store for you.” We happily open these links, thinking it’s just a nice little greeting. But this is where we make the biggest mistake.

Scammers have weaponized our happiness. As people are preparing to welcome the New Year, ‘wishing traps’ of cyber thugs have also been laid.

How does this game work?

You must have noticed that often such messages come on WhatsApp which contain a link to an unknown website (eg: surprise-for-you.xyz or wishing-india.club). When you click on it, a glowing page opens with balloons and firecrackers. There you are asked for information like your name or city.

On the surface it seems innocent, but as soon as you put data there, access to your phone can be stolen in the background. Some links are so dangerous that they directly download a ‘malware’ (malicious software) on your phone which can even read your bank OTP.

How to identify whether the link is real or fake?

1. Strange website address: Big websites like Google or Facebook never use unheard domains like .xyz, .top or .win for vishing.
2. Excessive demand: If any congratulatory message asks you to upload your name, phone number or photo, then understand that something is wrong.
3. Terms of sharing only on WhatsApp: Such messages often say, “Send this message to 10 more people and you will see a surprise.” Real greetings do not have such conditions.

Why is there a need to be even more careful in 2026?

As technology has advanced, hackers are now using AI to create more realistic-looking greeting cards. They send customized messages as per your choice so that you do not get suspicious. Crores of such links will be shared today till 12 midnight on 31st December. Your one wrong click can cost you your New Year morning at the police station or bank helpline.

What to do and what not to do?

• Do not open links: Unless you are sure that the sender is trustworthy and the link is genuine, do not touch it.
• Do not enter password: Never log in to your Facebook or email by visiting such links.
• Warn others: If such a message comes in any group of your family, then immediately tell them that it could be a fraud.