Bengaluru Police warn public of cyber-fraud linked to Indo-Pak tensions

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda has issued a public advisory alerting citizens to cyber frauds exploiting the ongoing Indo-Pak conflict. In a video message, he warned that cybercriminals are using the heightened public interest in the geopolitical situation to deceive individuals and steal sensitive information. Fraudsters are reportedly circulating fake news, phishing links, and malware disguised as conflict-related updates to lure unsuspecting users.

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According to the police, these criminals often use enticing messages claiming to provide exclusive footage or urgent updates related to the conflict. Clicking on such links can lead to fraudulent websites or trigger malware downloads that steal personal and financial data. Some of the deceptive file names include "Army job application," "Dance of the Hillary," and "Executive file tasksche.exe", all classic phishing attempts.

To counter this, Dayananda advised users to take several precautions: avoid opening unknown files, even from familiar contacts, don’t forward suspicious messages, only install apps from official app stores, and be wary of groups or messages claiming to share insider conflict updates. He also recommended disabling media auto-download and enabling two-step verification on WhatsApp for added protection.

Email users are urged to avoid unsolicited emails with urgent headlines, carefully check sender addresses, and never click unknown links or attachments. Regular data backups and updated antivirus software are also strongly advised. While no cases have yet been reported in the city, the advisory is based on central government alerts.