India is renowned worldwide for its extravagant wedding celebrations. Known for their lavishness, Indians often spend anywhere from lakhs to crores on weddings, depending on their financial status, traditions, and preferences.
These occasions hold immense cultural and emotional significance, reflected in the elaborate arrangements and festivities.
The simplicity of WhatsApp messages has replaced the custom of personally distributing wedding cards, but the digital age has also made it easier for fraud and scams to occur.
With the growing technology sending digital wedding cards on WhatsApp, Emails & Social media is a new trend now.
With the wedding season in full swing, scammers have found a new way to prey on their targets. They exploit the occasion by distributing fake wedding cards in PDF files through WhatsApp.
Falling victim to a wedding card scam, a man from Bikaner, Rajasthan lost ₹4.5 lakhs just by clicking on the wedding card he received on his WhatsApp.
India’s digital transition has led to a surge in cyberattacks, resulting in losses of over ₹1,420.48 crore in 2023 and ₹1,750 crore in 2024 due to 740,000 complaints.
Decoding the Wedding Invitation Scam
- Scammers share fake digital wedding invites that appear the same as the genuine invites.
- The wedding cards are shared in the form of PDF files.
- As soon as the recipient opens the invite, the file downloads the malware on the device giving access to scammers about all the necessary details.
- Ultimately the recipient faces significant financial losses.
Modus Operandi of the Scam
Preliminary Contact: The scammer generally hacks any account and reaches out to you via WhatsApp.
Malware Installation: On seeing the wedding invitation, the recipient clicks on it. This downloads the malware immediately on the recipient’s device. The scammer then fetches personal information including banking details saved in the device.
Phishing Attempts: Some links direct you to fake websites that ask for personal information, often acting as events or identity verification
How to Protect Yourself from Fake Wedding Invites?
- Verify the sender: Check the identity of the contact who has shared the wedding invite. You can call and confirm any such invitation shared by the contact.
- Do not click on suspicious links: Avoid clicking on any such files or links shared without verifying them.
- Avoid sharing personal information: No legitimate wedding card will ever ask you to share your personal or financial details.
- Enable security features on your devices: Use malware protection apps to block installations of any such APK files.
- Be suspicious about unexpected invites: If you are not well connected with the contact and not expecting any wedding invite from that particular contact, refrain from opening such invites.
What to do if you fall victim to the scam?
- Act quickly: If you have been targeted by such scams, without wasting time take immediate action.
- Report to local authorities: File a complaint about the scam in the nearest police station.
- Report to Cybercrime cell: Call the national hotline at 1930 or file a complaint in cyber crime.
- Seek Professional Assistance: Take help from cybersecurity experts to remove the malware from your device and secure your confidential data.
Conclusion
The Wedding season generally symbolizes joy and celebration for the families and relatives. A simple click on fake wedding invites can change your happiness into a state of despair and distress.
Increased vigilance is urgently needed because the economic boom brought about by weddings has made it easier for scammers to innovate.
You may enjoy the weddings without falling victim to cyber fraud if you take precautions and raise awareness. Always think twice before clicking, and prioritize your online safety throughout the wedding season.
In case you have been a victim of any financial fraud and need help to report your case, you can reach out to us for help. Fill in your contact details below and our team will contact you for fraud-free assistance.
