Fake Account Statements Hijack WhatsApp, Government Issues Nationwide Cyber Alert
What Happened
The Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has warned of a sophisticated cyber fraud campaign targeting professionals, business owners, CFOs, CAs and finance teams. Fraudsters are sending fake files such as "Statement of Account.zip", "RBI.zip" or "MCA.zip" via WhatsApp, SMS and email. Opening these files on a Windows computer installs malware that hijacks WhatsApp accounts and spreads the infection to contacts.
Key Takeaways
The compromised accounts are then used for "Boss Scam" frauds, where criminals impersonate CEOs or senior executives and pressure finance teams into making urgent fund transfers. I4C says the malware is linked to organised cross-border cybercrime networks and has already prompted alerts to over 58,000 potential victims.