A government employee from Hingoli district in Maharashtra lost nearly Rs 2 lakh after falling prey to a fake WhatsApp wedding invitation. The cyber fraud highlights how scammers misuse personal and social occasions to trap unsuspecting victims.
Police said the victim got a wedding invite message on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The text warmly asked him to attend a wedding on 30 August 2025, and a PDF attachment looked like a digital wedding card.
Trusting it, the man opened the file, which was actually a malicious link. His phone got infected, allowing cybercriminals to access sensitive banking details. In a matter of minutes, almost Rs 2 lakh was stolen from his account.
The fraud came to notice when he spotted strange withdrawals. With his family’s help, he alerted Cybercrime police, who have registered a case and started investigating the culprits behind the scam.
Authorities warned people to stay alert when receiving messages from unknown numbers. Scammers often disguise their fraud as wedding invites, festival greetings, or job offers. Clicking on such files can compromise personal data instantly.
Cyber experts suggest verifying numbers before replying, avoiding suspicious links, and keeping devices updated with proper security. This case shows how even a friendly message can turn into a costly trap, making awareness and caution the best protection.
