“Bhaiya, do you recognize this man in the photo?”
Ravi looked at his phone, puzzled. A WhatsApp message had popped up from an unknown number. The profile picture was blank. The message was followed by a blurry photo of a man standing near what looked like a tea stall.
“Who’s this?” he muttered. He was about to delete the message, but the follow-up came quickly.
“Please. It’s urgent. I think he was involved in a crime. I need help identifying him. You’re from this area, right?”
Ravi hesitated. He wasn’t one to ignore someone in need. The message felt personal. Maybe he did recognize the place in the background.
So, he tapped.
And just like that, the trap was sprung.
From Curiosity to Chaos: The Jabalpur Case
This isn’t a dramatic fiction piece—it’s precisely what happened in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
A man received a message from an unknown number asking for help identifying someone in an image.
The initial reaction was to ignore it. But with a few convincingly worded follow-ups, the man gave in to curiosity.
The moment he opened the image, malicious software embedded within the file began its dirty work. In the span of minutes, ₹2 lakh was siphoned from his account.
No suspicious link. No shady website. Just one picture.
When Photos Aren’t Just Photos
So, how does something like this even work?
Well, cybercriminals are getting cleverer than ever. This scam is powered by something called steganography, the art of hiding malicious code inside seemingly harmless images.
Think of it like tucking a razor blade between the pages of a magazine. It looks normal until it cuts you.
And here’s the worst part: it bypasses the usual red flags. No grammatical errors, no weird links. Just a photo, a story, and your empathy being used against you.
Why This Scam Hits Harder
It’s not just the tech behind it—it’s the emotional manipulation. Scammers aren’t just sending viruses; they’re playing characters. They pretend to be victims, lost souls, someone who needs help.
One version of the scam goes:
“I’m trying to file a report. My brother’s missing. I found this photo online, and someone said it’s from your city. Can you confirm?”
Who wouldn’t want to help in a moment like that?
That’s what makes this scam not just dangerous, but wicked. It uses your decency against you.
“I Thought I Was Helping Someone”
Sanjay, another victim from a metro city, shared his experience online.
“I opened the image, thinking maybe it was a lost-and-found case. My heart sank when my bank sent me a notification just minutes later. Three transactions, one after the other. Gone.”
He reported the matter, but like most digital frauds, recovery is tough. The attackers are long gone by the time you realize what happened.
What You Can Do: The Digital Armor
Now, here’s where you can flip the script and protect yourself:
- Disable auto-downloads. Go to your WhatsApp settings and turn off automatic media download. It gives you control.
- Never trust unknown numbers. If someone sounds too dramatic or too persuasive out of nowhere, don’t respond. Block and report.
- Do a quick reverse image search. If you’re curious, take a screenshot and check it on Google. Many of these scammers use stock images or recycled content.
- And most importantly—talk about it. Share these incidents. Warn your friends and family. Awareness is the first layer of defense.
The Bigger Picture
This scam is a chilling reminder that cybercrime isn’t always about high-level hacking or ransomware. Sometimes, it’s a message away. All it takes is a well-crafted story and a single photo.
So next time your phone pings with a random message, pause.
Don’t let your good heart become your vulnerability.
