Himachal Pradesh Warns Against Malicious Wedding Invite Scams On WhatsApp

The Himachal Pradesh Police has issued a warning about a new cyber scam involving malicious wedding invitations being sent to people on WhatsApp. The police have cautioned that downloading these invitations, presented as APK files, can infect phones with malware and give cybercriminals full access to the devices.

DIG CID and Cyber Crime HP police IPS Mohit Chawla advised the public not to click on any links or download wedding invitations received from unknown numbers. Once the malware is activated, hackers can send messages from the infected phones, steal personal data, and even extort money without the owner's knowledge.

In response to the rising number of cyber scams across the country, the Himachal Pradesh Cyber Police has issued a detailed advisory, outlining various modus operandi used by scammers. These include fake calls about TRAI disconnections, FedEx packages, Aadhaar verification, and lucrative loan offers.

The police have urged citizens to be vigilant and not share personal details like location, phone numbers, Aadhaar, or PAN information over the phone or messages. They have also advised people to refuse to acknowledge their names when receiving calls from unknown numbers and to immediately disconnect and block such calls.

The authorities have emphasized that the safety and security of the citizens are their top priority, and they are making efforts to raise awareness about potential cyber threats in the digital era.