Rajasthan Police warns of WhatsApp hijacks used to ask friends for money
By Rhea MalhotraDigital Life Writer, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: geralt / Pixabay
Rajasthan Police's cyber crime wing warned on 21-22 October 2026 that fraudsters are taking over WhatsApp accounts through fake QR codes and stolen OTPs, then asking contacts for money.
What Happened
Rajasthan Police has issued an advisory warning WhatsApp users about a wave of account takeovers in which fraudsters use a hacked account to ask the owner's friends and family for money. The advisory, from the police's cyber crime wing and reported on 21 and 22 October 2026, says criminals gain control of accounts by tricking users into scanning fake QR codes, clicking harmful links or sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), often while pretending to be a friend or a customer-support worker. Once inside, they message the victim's contacts with urgent requests, typically claiming a medical emergency, and ask for money to be sent at once.
Key Facts
- Issued by: Rajasthan Police's cyber crime wing, reported on 21-22 October 2026.
- How accounts are taken over, according to the advisory: fake QR codes, malicious links and stolen OTPs or registration codes, often obtained by impersonating friends or support staff.
- What the fraudsters do next: message the victim's contacts asking for money, usually for a supposed emergency.
- Warning signs listed: an unknown device under Linked Devices, messages sent or chats read without the owner's knowledge, OTPs that were not requested, contacts reporting strange money requests, or being suddenly logged out.
- Advice: never scan QR codes from unknown sources; never share OTPs, registration codes or two-step PINs; turn on two-step verification; never install screen-sharing or remote-access apps at a stranger's request; confirm any money request by calling the person.
- Reporting: the national cyber fraud helpline 1930, the portal cybercrime.gov.in, or the nearest police or cyber police station.
Why It Matters
For students and young professionals, WhatsApp is where most personal, family and work conversations happen. That makes a hijacked account a powerful tool for fraud: a message asking for money that appears to come from a close friend or a cousin is far more convincing than one from a stranger. The person who loses money is usually not the account owner but someone who trusted them.
The scam relies less on technical hacking than on persuasion. WhatsApp lets users link a phone account to other devices, such as a laptop, by scanning a QR code. If someone is tricked into scanning a code supplied by a fraudster, or into reading out a verification code sent by SMS, they can hand over access to their account without realising it. That is why the police advice focuses on habits: not scanning unknown codes and never sharing codes or PINs with anyone, even someone who claims to be a friend.
Two-step verification is the single most useful setting. It adds a six-digit PIN that WhatsApp asks for when an account is registered on a new phone, so a stolen SMS code alone is not enough. It takes less than a minute to switch on in the app's account settings.
Speed matters if money is lost. The 1930 helpline is linked to banks and payment companies so that a reported transfer can sometimes be frozen before the money is withdrawn. The sooner a victim calls, the better the chance of recovery.
| What to check | Where |
|---|---|
| Unknown linked devices | WhatsApp settings, Linked Devices |
| Two-step verification | WhatsApp settings, Account |
| Report money lost | call 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in |
Impact
Short-term: Users who follow the advisory can check their linked devices and switch on two-step verification today. Families can agree to confirm any urgent money request by phone.
Long-term: As more transactions move to instant UPI payments, social-engineering scams that exploit trust between friends are likely to remain a major form of cyber fraud, making digital habits as important as technical protections.
Who is affected: WhatsApp users across India, especially young people and older relatives who may respond quickly to emergency requests, and police cyber cells handling fraud complaints.
Key Takeaway
Rajasthan Police warns that fraudsters are hijacking WhatsApp accounts through fake QR codes and stolen OTPs to ask contacts for money, so users should never share codes, turn on two-step verification and verify every request by phone.
Questions and Answers
What did Rajasthan Police warn about?
In an advisory reported on 21-22 October 2026, the cyber crime wing warned that fraudsters take over WhatsApp accounts using fake QR codes, links and stolen OTPs, then ask the owner's contacts for money.
How can I tell if my WhatsApp account has been hacked?
Warning signs include an unknown device in Linked Devices, messages you did not send, OTPs you did not request, friends reporting money requests from you, or being logged out suddenly.
How do I protect my WhatsApp account?
Turn on two-step verification, never share OTPs or PINs, do not scan QR codes from unknown sources, and do not install remote-access apps at anyone's request.
What should I do if I sent money to a scammer?
Call the cyber fraud helpline 1930 at once or report at cybercrime.gov.in, and inform your bank. Quick reporting improves the chance of the money being frozen.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
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