Clicking New Year greetings could cost you dear, say cyber police

Patna: As the buzz of the New Year gets louder, people will eagerly share New Year greetings on social media platforms, and cybercriminals will be equally ready to exploit the festive spirit with deceptive tactics.Patna cyber police cautioned citizens about such frauds, stating that scammers may send innocent “Happy New Year” messages, personalised greetings, or special offers disguising dangerous malware.Nitish Chandra Dhariya, DSP (cyber), Patna, said cyberfrauds may send suspicious links or APK files under the guise of New Year greetings on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and other social media chat sites, potentially leading to severe financial losses to those who get trapped.“The scams often arrive as a simple message—something like ‘Happy New Year! Click here for your special greetings or ‘New Year gift waiting for you’—sometimes even from contacts whose accounts were compromised earlier. The deception involves prompting you to download an APK file, perhaps named innocently like ‘HappyNewYear2026.apk’ or similar, to supposedly view an animated card or claim a reward,” he said, adding that installing such files quietly introduces malware onto the phone and gains access to personal data and banking services.Dhariya said that people should pause before downloading any link or APK sent under the guise of congratulations. “Take a moment to think, verify the source, and only proceed if it is genuinely safe—otherwise, you risk falling victim to cyber theft,” he said.The DSP further stated that to safeguard themselves people should avoid clicking unknown links, especially those requiring app installations for “viewing” a greeting. “Stick to straightforward text, images, or videos from trusted contacts,” he added.