Jaipur, Aug 18 (IANS) Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, the Rajasthan Cyber Crime Police on Tuesday issued an advisory, warning the public about a rise in festival-themed cyber fraud.
Fraudsters are reportedly exploiting the emotions and excitement surrounding the festival by sending fake APK files, phishing links, gift offers and courier messages to steal personal and financial information.
Acting on the instructions of Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar Sharma, the Rajasthan Cyber Crime Police has urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid downloading unknown files or clicking suspicious links.
Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), V.K. Singh, said that cybercriminals are sending files such as “RakshaBandhan.Greeting.apk” and “Festival.Gift.apk” through WhatsApp.
Downloading and installing such APK files can give cybercriminals access to sensitive information and functions on a mobile phone, including the camera, gallery, messages and banking applications.
Fraudsters are also sending attractive messages offering Raksha Bandhan special deals, free gift vouchers, mobile recharges and huge discounts. These messages often contain links to fake websites designed to steal banking credentials and other personal information.
The police have advised people not to click on such links, even when the offer appears to come from a familiar brand or contact.
Cybercriminals may also create fake social media or WhatsApp profiles using the names and photographs of relatives and then ask victims to transfer money.
Another common tactic involves messages claiming that a brother or sister has sent a Rakhi or gift through a courier service. Victims may then be asked to click on a delivery link or pay a small fee, potentially exposing their personal or financial details.
The Rajasthan Police have advised citizens to take precautions like avoiding downloading or installing unknown APK files, disabling WhatsApp’s media auto-download feature, enabling two-step verification on WhatsApp and other important accounts, avoiding click on suspicious links offering gifts, coupons, discounts or recharges, verifying suspicious messages or requests for money by directly contacting the person concerned and avoiding sharing banking credentials, OTPs, PINs or other sensitive information with anyone.
The police particularly urged citizens to disable WhatsApp’s media auto-download feature to reduce the risk of automatically receiving potentially harmful files.
In case of cyber fraud, citizens should act immediately and can report the incident at the nearest police station or call the National Cyber Helpline at ‘1930’.
Complaints can also be registered through the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.
Rajasthan Police have additionally provided the Cyber Helpdesk numbers 9256001930 and 9257510100 for assistance.
The police have appealed to citizens to remain especially cautious during the festive season and verify any suspicious message, link or payment request before taking action.
–IANS
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