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A Bengaluru deputy range forest officer lost nearly Rs. 10 lakh after opening a fake wedding invitation received on WhatsApp. Police said the invitation came as an APK file, which secretly installed malware on the officer's phone.
Soon after, fraudsters withdrew Rs. 9,96,659 from the officer's Bank of Baroda account through several unauthorized transactions on July 14.
The officer believed the invitation was genuine and downloaded the file. Later, multiple bank alerts revealed that money had already left the account.
After discovering the fraud, the officer deleted the APK files, filed a police complaint, and an investigation began.
Ramesh Babu V, forest officer told investigators, "I received the message from one of my friends' WhatsApp numbers on the evening of July 13. I noticed the message the next afternoon, and since it was from my friend and mentioned an engagement invitation, I clicked on the file."
Police suspect the APK file gave cybercriminals access to the mobile phone and banking information. Officials said such files often appear as wedding invitations, event notices, or other trusted messages to trick people into installing malware.
Once installed, the malware can access banking apps, messages, contacts, and other personal data.
Officials warned that APK scams have become a common cybercrime method in recent months. They advised people to avoid downloading APK files received through WhatsApp unless the sender and file are fully verified.
Checking bank alerts regularly and reporting suspicious activity immediately can also help reduce financial losses.
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