As the Christmas celebrations are going across the nation, a new WhatsApp scam is growing as festive greetings, giveaways and surprise gift offers. The scammers are exploiting the holiday spirit to lure users into clicking malicious links that loot the bank balance within minutes.
Cyber Police has said that this scam is spreading rapidly through WhatsApp forwards, often appearing to come from friends, family members or trusted contacts whose accounts may already be compromised.
How Christmas WhatsApp Scam works
The Christmas WhatsApp scam begins with a festive message such as “Merry Christmas”! You’ve received a gift” or “Christmas bonus waiting for you”. The message contains a shortened or masked link claiming to offer cashback, gift vouchers, shopping coupons, or even cash rewards.
If the user taps the link, then they are redirected to a fake website that mimics well-known brands, banks, or payment platforms. Victims are then asked to enter the personal details such as mobile number or banking information, or they are asked to install an app or allow permissions.
By clicking on such links, the malware is installed into the victim’s phones which give scammer remote access to the phone, allowing them to read OTPs, access banking apps and initiate unauthorised transactions.
The cyber experts suggest that festivals are prime hunting grounds for scammers during the festive season. People are more relaxed, distracted, and emotionally driven, which makes them less cautious about suspicious messages.
The scammers also rely on urgency, warning users that the “offer will expire today” or that they must act immediately to claim their Christmas reward. Through these messages, the scammers make pressure, which often leads users to skip basic verification steps.
What next if you are scammed?
If the user has been scammed, then they should report it immediately to their bank and dial the national cybercrime helpline 1930. The complaints also need to be filed on the cybercrime portal at cybercrime.gov.in
Cyber police stress that quick reporting can significantly increase the chance of freezing fraudulent transactions and limiting financial losses.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
