A deputy range forest officer in Bengaluru lost nearly Rs 10 lakh after opening a fake wedding invitation sent via WhatsApp. According to police, the invitation arrived as an APK file that secretly installed malware on the officer’s mobile device.
The malware allowed fraudsters to access the officer’s banking apps and other personal data. On July 14, they withdrew Rs 9,96,659 from the officer’s Bank of Baroda account through multiple unauthorized transactions.
The officer, Ramesh Babu V, told investigators that he received the message from a friend’s WhatsApp number on the evening of July 13. He noticed it the next afternoon and, believing it genuine because it came from his friend and mentioned an engagement, clicked on the file.
After discovering the fraud, the officer deleted the APK files and filed a police complaint. An investigation has been launched.
Police suspect the APK file gave cybercriminals remote access to the phone and its banking information. Officials warned that such files often disguise themselves as trusted messages—wedding invitations, event notices, or other alerts—to trick recipients into installing malware. Once installed, the malware can steal banking app credentials, text messages, contacts, and more.
Authorities stressed that APK scams have become a common cybercrime tactic in recent months. They advise people never to download APK files received through WhatsApp unless the sender and file are fully verified. Regularly monitoring bank alerts and immediately reporting any suspicious activity can also help limit financial losses.