Mumbai: The Maharashtra Cyber police have issued advisories for citizens on ongoing cyber crimes such as fake RTO e-challan apk file, fake online job offers scam and ghost pairing attack affecting WhatsApp users.
Fake online job scams
An advisory on fake RTO e-challan apk file scam stated that, "The victims get phony traffic challan messages with APK files, links, or PDFs. This is a very common trick, used by scammers to sneak harmful apps past normal checks. Once the APK file is clicked the fraudster gets access to the SMS/OTP of the infected phone, and manages to enable auto-debits from banks, UPI, cards, or wallets even without sharing OTPs. The scam also compromises WhatsApp auto-forwards scam to contacts, and triggers unauthorized transactions. One should avoid unknown APKs/links from WhatsApp. Verify official RTO apps via government sites and report suspicious activity to cyber police."
In another advisory related to fake online job scams, the police said that scammers target job seekers and students on social media platforms and use fake company names, promising quick hiring and vanish after receiving money. "Scammers lure victims with promises of high income for minimal work. These offers remove normal hiring steps, creating urgency and excitement so victims act quickly without questioning the authenticity of the job. Victims are asked to pay small fees to continue the hiring process. Beyond money, these scams aim to harvest personal and financial information. Stolen data is later misused for banking fraud, identity theft, or further scams, causing long-term damage beyond the initial financial loss."
Safety advice
"Fraudsters pose as HR professionals from reputed companies to gain credibility. Communication stays informal and online-only, avoiding official channels, offices, or verifiable identities to prevent detection and accountability. Online job scams follow predictable patterns that are often overlooked due to urgency or excitement. Recognizing these warning signs early helps prevent financial loss, data theft, and prolonged harassment by fraud networks. Legitimate employers never charge money for job offers or onboarding. Staying alert, verifying employers, and protecting personal information are essential to avoid financial loss and identity misuse in online job scams," the advisory further states.
The cyber police also issued an advisory on a new WhatsApp scam called Ghost Pairing wherein the fraudster hijacks WhatsApp accounts of victims without OTP or password and uses device pairing to gain access. "Messages sent by the scammers appear urgent or emotional in nature often sent from trusted contacts and are designed to trigger quick action. The messages also contain a link and once clicked by the victim, the link opens a fake WhatsApp login page. The users are then tricked to click continue and verify icons after which device pairing is approved unknowingly and the attacker gets live account control of the account who then misuses the same. One should check Linked Devices frequently and avoid clicking urgent or unknown links."
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