As Ahmedabad residents prepare to welcome the New Year with digital greetings, a stark warning has been issued by the state's cybercrime unit. The Cyber Excellence Centre of the Gujarat CID (Crime) raised an alarm on Tuesday, cautioning citizens about a sharp rise in sophisticated cyberfrauds disguised as festive messages on WhatsApp and other popular messaging platforms.
How the Festive Scam Operates
According to the detailed advisory, criminals are actively spreading messages containing "Happy New Year" links. These deceptive messages often promise personalised digital greeting cards or exclusive gifts to lure unsuspecting users. The communication typically includes compelling lines like "Open this gift for you" or "Click here to send a greeting in your name" to trigger curiosity and clicks.
CID officials have stressed that these links should not be opened under any circumstances. The moment a user clicks, the process to download a malicious APK (Android Package Kit) file is triggered. This file, once installed, silently plants malware on the smartphone, granting hackers a backdoor to the device's most sensitive information.
Severe Consequences Beyond Financial Loss
The breach of security extends far beyond the risk of minor monetary theft. The CID advisory outlined a terrifying array of potential violations. The installed malware can gain complete access to personal data, including bank account details, one-time passwords (OTPs), private photo galleries, and entire contact lists.
Cyber experts highlighted that the malware's capabilities are alarmingly invasive. An infected phone can be transformed into a surveillance device, capable of recording phone calls and ambient sounds without the owner's knowledge. It can also track real-time GPS location to map a person's daily movements, and steal official documents such as PDFs, presentations, and text files stored on the device.
A Gateway to Larger Networks
Perhaps the most concerning aspect flagged by police is the potential for compromised phones to be used as a tool for larger espionage. Hackers can exploit access to infiltrate high-value WhatsApp groups linked to government departments, defence establishments, and corporate leadership teams. This allows them to study confidential communication patterns and social networks for further malicious activities.
Essential Cyber Hygiene for the Festive Season
In light of these threats, the CID has urged citizens to practice basic cyber hygiene. The primary advice is to interact only with plain text messages, images, or direct videos received from known and trusted contacts. Any greeting that asks the recipient to install or update an application to view content should be ignored immediately.
Officials emphasised that heightened awareness is the most effective defence. "A New Year greeting should bring cheer, not cyber fear," the advisory stated, appealing to the public to remain vigilant. They have also encouraged people to report any suspicious links or messages to the cybercrime authorities promptly.
The underlying message is clear: celebrate the New Year with joy, but let caution be your digital companion to ensure a safe and happy beginning.
