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Wedding season is here, but beware — cybercriminals are sending fake wedding invites like ‘Tanu Weds Manu.apk’. One click, and your bank account could vanish in minutes!
Within minutes, scammers can silently gain access to your SMS, banking apps, UPI PINs, and digital wallets like Google Pay or PhonePe using these fake wedding invitations.
As November ushers in the grand wedding season, the air is filled with festive tunes, the scent of mehendi, and a flood of wedding invitations, especially on WhatsApp. But amid the celebrations, cyber criminals have found a new way to target unsuspecting people. Police have now issued a red alert.
The Deadly .APK Invitation Trap
If you receive a digital wedding card ending with ‘.apk’, do not open it; one tap could drain your entire bank account. In the past 15 days alone, 87 people across Delhi-NCR have been duped, losing nearly Rs 3.8 crore.
Most incidents have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, where the wedding season is in full swing.
How The Scam Works
Fraudsters design fake wedding invitations that look completely authentic — with names of the bride and groom, floral borders, elegant fonts, and even gold detailing. But instead of a regular PDF or image file, the attachment ends in ‘.apk’, which is an Android malware file.
What Happens After You Click On The Fake Invite
Once opened, a fake ‘Wedding Blessing App’ begins to install, while in the background, the virus silently gains access to your SMS, banking apps, UPI PINs, and digital wallets like Google Pay or PhonePe.
Within minutes, scammers can transfer your hard-earned money from your account.
Authorities are urging people to stay vigilant and avoid opening suspicious links or files. One careless click could turn your festive joy into a financial nightmare. So double-check before you click on that ‘digital wedding invite’.
November 10, 2025, 14:57 IST
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