'Shadi Mein Zarur Aye': Govt Employee Opens Wedding Invite On WhatsApp, Loses Nearly Rs 2 Lakh

Maharashtra govt employee lost Rs 1.9L in a WhatsApp wedding scam, while a Mumbai woman lost Rs 18.5L to a fake milk delivery link amid rising cybercrime in India.

Victims Lose Rs 1.9 Lakh In WhatsApp Wedding Scam

Source : એબીપી અસ્મિતા

A seemingly innocent WhatsApp wedding invitation turned into a costly ordeal for a government employee in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, who lost nearly Rs 2 lakh to cybercriminals.

The victim received a message from an unknown number inviting them to a wedding on August 30. The text read: “Welcome. Shadi mein zarur aye (Do come to the wedding). 30/08/2025. Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness.” Attached to the message appeared to be a PDF file of the wedding invitation.

What seemed harmless, however, was a trap. The attachment was actually an Android Application Package (APK) file, cleverly disguised as a wedding card. Once the victim clicked on it, the cybercriminals gained access to their phone and siphoned off Rs 1,90,000.

Hingoli police have registered a case against an unknown suspect, and the matter is also under investigation by the cyber cell department.

This is not an isolated incident. Similar scams have been reported since last year, targeting unsuspecting users with fake wedding invitations on WhatsApp. Once a victim clicks on the APK file, fraudsters can monitor their activities, access sensitive data, and even impersonate the user to extract money from their contacts.

The Himachal Pradesh Cyber Police had issued a warning last year, urging people to exercise caution and avoid downloading files from unknown sources.

Elderly Woman in Mumbai Loses Rs 18.5 Lakh in Online Milk Scam

In another shocking case, an elderly woman in Mumbai lost her life savings of Rs 18.5 lakh after clicking on a fraudulent link while trying to order a litre of milk from an online delivery app, police said on Saturday.

According to authorities, the woman followed the fraudster’s instructions while staying on the call for nearly an hour. The next day, the scammer called again and obtained additional information. Days later, during a routine bank visit, she discovered that Rs 18.5 lakh had been drained from her three accounts.

Police believe the accused gained access to her phone after she clicked on the malicious link. A case has been registered, and investigations are ongoing.

This incident is part of a wider surge in cybercrimes across India, where scammers are increasingly exploiting everyday digital transactions to trick victims. Earlier this month, a Pune businessman lost Rs 2.3 crore to fraudsters impersonating police officers. In Bengaluru, several senior citizens were also conned through fake KYC update messages.