What seemed like a simple wedding invitation on WhatsApp turned into a cyber nightmare for a government employee in Hingoli district.
An unidentified number messaged the victim with information about a wedding that was set for August 30, 2025.
The message read: “Welcome. Shadi mein zarur aye (Do come to the wedding). 30/08/2025. Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness.” Attached to the text was what appeared to be a PDF wedding card.
But instead of being a wedding invitation, it was a malicious Android application (APK) file that was made to break into handsets.
The moment the victim clicked on it, cybercriminals gained access to sensitive personal data. Within hours, nearly ₹1.9 lakh was siphoned off from the victim’s account.
Police Investigation Underway
A case has been registered at Hingoli police station, and the cyber cell is investigating the fraud. Authorities believe organized cybercrime groups are responsible for the scam and are tracking down the illicit link’s origin.
Officers have warned people to be on the lookout and refrain from downloading files from unknown WhatsApp numbers, particularly those that appear to be PDF invitations, job offers, or festival greetings.
Scam With a History
This wedding invitation scam first came to light last year when multiple people across India lost money after opening similar fake files. Typically, cybercriminals use WhatsApp to send wedding invitations or festive greetings, including an APK file that, if loaded, grants them access of the victim’s device.
In 2024, the Himachal Pradesh Cyber Police had issued a statewide advisory warning people against downloading such files. The fraud still attracts new victims in several states in spite of these warnings.
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Wider Cyber Fraud Network
This incident follows a recent crackdown on cyber fraud in Maharashtra, where police arrested seven suspects in Thane for running a racket from Goa. The group lured people with fake job offers, convincing them to open bank accounts in their names and surrender their passbooks, ATM cards, and SIM cards. These details were then misused for fraudulent transactions.
The fraud came to light when a duped job seeker discovered that his account was being used for illegal financial activities after never receiving the promised employment.
