Cops heighten vigil as cybercrime surges ahead of Valentine’s Day

Pune: Cyber police and experts are closely monitoring online activity ahead of Valentine's Day, a period when digital frauds traditionally witness a surge amid increased online shopping, gifting and social media interactions. The Union home ministry's cyber safety outreach handle, Cyber Dost, has urged internet users to remain cautious about suspicious links, surprise deliveries and calls posing as delivery agents during ‘Valentine's Week'.
Officials said scammers often exploit the festive mood by sending fake e-cards, gift links and love notes designed to trick users into clicking malicious URLs or sharing personal and financial details. In some cases, fraudsters even pose as delivery agents and try to activate call forwarding on victims' phones to intercept OTPs and gain access to bank accounts. A senior Pune cyber cell official said people should also be cautious about QR codes and payment requests shared through social media or messaging platforms during the season. "If you are scanning a QR code, ensure it is not fake. In online transactions, money should never be transferred to unknown bank accounts," the officer said, explaining that fraudsters often circulate fake payment QR codes while posing as sellers or delivery partners for Valentine's Day gifts. The official added that cybercriminals frequently circulate messages on WhatsApp and social media with catchy offers for Valentine's Day gifts and discounts. "These messages may contain links that download APK files — Android application packages used to install apps outside the Google Play Store. Such files can install malicious apps that steal personal data, access SMS and banking OTPs, or take control of devices," the official said. Sandip Gadiya, cybercrime investigation expert, said, "I came across two cases recently related to Valentine's Day cyber frauds. The modus operandi is quite similar in both. Victims receive messages from unknown numbers on WhatsApp or Telegram. As soon as they click on the link shared in the message, an APK file gets downloaded on the phone." He added, "Once the user opens that APK file, the fraudster gets access to the entire phone. This happened to both victims. The attacker gained access to the phone, then accessed all the OTPs on SMS and started using the victim's WhatsApp account. From WhatsApp, the fraudster began sending the same Valentine's Day messages to all of the victim's contacts." Describing the second case, Gadiya said the fraudster once again used a WhatsApp message link to target the victim. "After the victim clicked the link, an APK file was downloaded and the attacker attempted to gain access to the victim's phone and Google Pay account. However, due to technical issues the attempt was unsuccessful," he said, adding that the incident showed how attackers are actively trying to gain control of payment apps through such malicious downloads. He advised, "There are a few things people must remember. Do not click on links received from unknown persons and never download APK files sent through such messages. There are a few apps suggested by the ministry of home affairs' cybercrime department. One is mKavach 2, developed by C-DAC, which removes high-risk applications on the phone and identifies malicious APK files that may have been accidentally downloaded. People should also install an eScan bot removal tool, which helps identify and eliminate malicious bots active on the device." Another cyber expert said, "People should avoid accepting unknown parcels delivered in their name and remain alert to calls seeking sensitive information. Victims of cyberfraud should immediately report incidents by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or filing a complaint on the cybercrime portal."