Hyderabad police alert public on ‘Free Rs 5,000’ cyber scam links

Hyderabad: Taking advantage of public celebrations during Sankranti and Republic Day, cyber criminals are coming up with new tricks to cheat people, said an advisory issued by Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar, IPS.

Currently, several fake links are widely circulating on WhatsApp with messages such as ‘PhonePe Republic Day Mega Gift’ and ‘Sankranti Gift.’ Cyber scammers are luring users by claiming that clicking these links will get them Rs 5,000 for free.

How to spot fake offers on social media?

Messages are being shared saying, “At first I thought it was fake, but I really got ₹5,000! You should also try it,” along with a link.

This is a psychological trick used by criminals to trap unsuspecting people. If you receive such messages from known contacts or WhatsApp groups, pause and think for a moment.

Pay close attention to the links at the end of these messages. They usually contain strange characters such as fdgc.lusvv.xyz or iom.qmtyw.xyz.

Understand that these are not official PhonePe links.

If you click such links out of temptation, dangerous malware may enter your phone. This can lead to theft of personal information, bank PINs and passwords and your bank account can be emptied within minutes.

PhonePe, Google Pay or any other company does not distribute money through WhatsApp links. Any genuine offer will be available only on their official apps.

What to do in case of cyber fraud?

If anyone has accidentally clicked such a link and lost money, they should immediately call 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.