Bengaluru Officer Downloads Wedding Invite On WhatsApp, Loses Rs 10 Lakh
A Bengaluru-based forest officer lost nearly Rs 10 lakh after downloading a malicious APK file disguised as a wedding invitation on WhatsApp. Police are investigating the incident, which highlights a growing trend of malware-based financial fraud.
Why it matters
It serves as a critical warning for smartphone users regarding the dangers of downloading unsolicited files, which can lead to significant financial loss and data theft.
A deputy range forest officer in Bengaluru allegedly lost nearly Rs 10 lakh to cyber fraud after downloading a wedding invitation sent as an APK file on WhatsApp, police said.The officer, believing the invitation to be genuine, downloaded and installed the file on the mobile phone, following which multiple transactions were made from his Bank of Baroda account on July 14. Upon checking the account, the officer discovered that Rs 9,96,659 had been withdrawn in these multiple transactions without authorisation.Realising the fraud, the complainant deleted all APK files from the phone and later approached the police. Police said unknown cyber fraudsters are suspected to have gained access to the mobile device through the malicious APK file and siphoned off the money from his bank account.A case has been registered and an investigation has been…
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