Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cyber fraudsters have devised a new scam targeting government employees and pensioners by exploiting curiosity surrounding the proposed 8th Pay Commission. The Cyber Crime Cell of Bhopal police have issued an advisory warning citizens about fake “salary calculator” links that are being used to steal sensitive financial data and empty bank accounts.
According to officials, scammers are circulating fraudulent messages through WhatsApp, SMS and email claiming that employees can check their revised salary and arrears under the 8th Pay Commission.
These messages contain suspicious links or APK files disguised as salary calculator applications.
Cyber experts said that such APK files are actually malware. Once installed, they gain complete access to the victim’s mobile phone while allowing criminals to remotely read OTPs, banking passwords and personal information.
Several cases have already been reported where victims lost large sums of money after downloading these applications.
Any information related to pay commissions or government benefits is released only through official government portals ending with “.gov.in”. Citizens are advised not to click on unknown links or install applications from sources outside the Google Play Store.
