Maharashtra: A shocking incident has come to light from Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, where a government employee allegedly lost nearly Rs 2 lakhs in a cyber fraud after receiving a fake digital wedding invitation via WhatsApp. The victim received a message from an unknown number on WhatsApp inviting them to a wedding function on August 30. The victim unknowingly clicked on the wedding invitation, allowing the cybercriminals to access his personal data and steal Rs 1,90,000. A case has been registered against the unknown person.

How Did Cybercriminals Scam Government Employee?

It all started with the government employee receiving a fake digital wedding invitation on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The victim received a message inviting them to the wedding function, which was scheduled on August 30, NDTV reported.

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“Welcome. Shadi mein zarur aye (Do come to the wedding). 30/08/2025. Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness,” the WhatsApp message read. The victim also received a malicious file or Android Application Package (APK) disguised as a wedding invitation.

As soon as the victim clicked on the APK file, the cybercriminals accessed the victim’s personal data and stole Rs 1,90,000.

Soon after the incident, a case was registered at the Hingoli Police Station and Cyber Cell department against the unknown cybercriminals.

How Does The Scam Work?

The wedding invitation scam operates with the victim receiving a digital wedding invitation on WhatsApp. An APK file disguised as a wedding invitation is sent to the victim. Once the victim downloads the file on their phone, the cybercriminals can access the user's phone and steal their personal data to scam anyone.

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The cybercriminals can use the data to scam other people and seek money from them. Many people lost their money in the wedding invitation scam.

The Himachal Pradesh Cyber Police has warned users to remain cautious and not download files received from unknown sources.