WhatsApp Scam: Seeing the wedding invitation, hardly anyone would doubt that there could be a web of cyber fraud behind it. But a case that came to light in Ahmedabad shows how dangerous a wedding card sent on WhatsApp can prove to be. A 71-year-old retired businessman opened a digital wedding card received from an acquaintance’s number and a total of Rs 6.4 lakh was withdrawn from his two bank accounts through separate transactions.
The wedding invitation came from an acquaintance’s number.
According to media reports, an elderly man living in Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad had received a wedding invitation on WhatsApp on September 15. The message had come from a known number, so they did not find any anomaly in it.
He downloaded the file sent with the invitation. After this, the same message started being automatically sent to his contacts from his WhatsApp account. This was an indication that some suspicious activity had started on the phone.
After two days, continuous messages started coming from the bank.
About two days after opening the wedding card, SMS for bank transactions started coming on the old man’s mobile. When he checked his accounts, it was found that through various transactions from his two bank accounts, Rs. Rs 6.4 lakh Had been taken out.
Police suspect that the fraudsters gained access to the device and sensitive information through a suspicious APK file installed on the phone.
What is Wedding Card APK Scam? (WhatsApp Scam)
APK i.e. Android Package Kit is a file used to install apps in Android phones. Normally Android apps are installed through official channels like Google Play Store.
Cyber thugs can take advantage of this technology and send APK files on WhatsApp pretending to be wedding cards, courier, electricity bills or important documents related to any government service. As soon as the user installs it, the app may ask for many types of permissions.
If the user approves these permissions without checking, then the sensitive information present in the phone may be at risk. In some cases, fraudsters also try to access information like SMS and OTP.
Why is fraud happening in the name of wedding cards?
Cyber thugs know that when they receive a wedding invitation, people often open it without thinking much. Especially when the message has come from an acquaintance’s number, the trust increases further.
Taking advantage of this trust, cyber criminals send suspicious files under different pretexts. Wedding invitations, courier delivery, electricity bills, KYC updates and festival messages can be used for this.
Such cases have already come to light in Ahmedabad. A 74-year-old retired consultant allegedly lost Rs 15.5 lakh after installing an APK containing wedding cards. In Vadodara, a case of fraud of about Rs 10.6 lakh from a 78 year old man was reported.
If you receive such a card on WhatsApp, do not make this mistake.
- A stranger came on WhatsApp Do not install the APK file.
- Call the person sending the wedding card first to confirm.
- Do not blindly trust any message received from an acquaintance’s number.
- If any unknown app suddenly appears on the phone, check it.
- Immediately check the permissions granted to the suspicious app and remove it if it is not needed.
- If you notice any suspicious activity related to the bank, inform the bank immediately.
- in case of withdrawal of money 1930 cyber helpline But complain immediately.
- Secure banking access as quickly as possible in case of cyber fraud.