Stay safe › Scams
Fake wedding invites and APK files
A "wedding card", "bill" or "bank update" arrives as an .apk file on WhatsApp. Installing it hands over your phone.
How it works
An APK is an Android app file. Scammers send one disguised as a wedding invitation, an electricity bill or a bank notice. Once installed, it can read your SMS (including OTPs), see your contacts, and send itself to everyone you know. Money starts leaving your account within minutes.
Real cases
Himachal Pradesh police warned that fake wedding invites carrying APK files install malware that steals photos, contacts and banking details, then spread to the victim’s contacts. In Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, a government employee reportedly lost about ₹1.9 lakh after opening what looked like a wedding card.
If it has already happened
- Don't open it. If you installed it, switch on airplane mode and uninstall the app.
- Call your bank to block UPI and cards, and change your banking and email passwords from another device.
- Call 1930 if money has been taken. Warn your contacts not to open anything sent from your number.
Protect yourself
- Install apps only from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Keep "install unknown apps" switched off in your phone's settings.
- Wedding cards are images or PDFs. An invitation never needs to be installed.
Say it simply
Never install a game or app from a link someone sends you. Use the app store with a parent.
If a file ends in .apk, don't touch it. Ask family before opening any file that isn't a photo.
Got an app in mind? Check it in ten quick questions.Is this app safe? →
Where to report
- Cybercrime helpline 1930Money has been taken or a payment was tricked out of you. Call at once: the sooner, the better the chance of freezing it.Call 1930
- Your bank, directlyBlock your card or UPI, and report the transaction. Use the number on your card or the bank's official app, never one from a message.Number on your card
- National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalFile a complaint about any cyber fraud, harassment, sextortion or morphed images.cybercrime.gov.in
- Chakshu, on Sanchar SaathiReport a suspected fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp message, even if you lost nothing.sancharsaathi.gov.in
Learn more
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