BENGALURU
Cyber fraudsters recently duped a Bengaluru forest official out of nearly ten lakh rupees using a malicious Android Package (APK) link sent on WhatsApp. Deputy Zonal Forest Officer Ramesh Babu B. opened an illicit invitation file sent from a hacked friend’s account, resulting in prompt financial loss. Within 30 minutes of opening the corrupt file, scammers withdrew 9,96,659 rupees through seven unauthorized bank transfers.
After stealing the funds, the hackers remotely wiped the malicious file from the victim’s phone to destroy digital evidence. Investigations later revealed that the friend’s WhatsApp account was compromised to target multiple contacts. The official immediately registered a formal complaint with the North-East Cyber Crime Police Station to initiate tracking procedures.
Cybersecurity authorities urge citizens to exercise extreme caution before downloading or opening unknown file extensions on social media. Fraudsters increasingly disguise harmful software files as digital wedding cards, job offers, or official documents to hack devices. Even if messages originate from trusted contacts, individuals should call senders directly to verify the authenticity of files before opening them.
Furthermore, police advise smartphone users to monitor bank notifications continuously and never ignore unexpected debit alerts. Anyone who falls victim to cyber robbery should immediately call the national cyber helpline number 1930 to freeze their bank accounts and block further fraudulent money transfers.