Delhi Police issue cyber advisory ahead of Deepavali, warn against fake gift links and festive shopping scams

NEW DELHI The Delhi Police have issued a cyber safety advisory ahead of Deepavali, warning citizens against a spate of online frauds involving fake government gift schemes, fraudulent shopping websites, malicious greeting cards and digital payment scams during the festive season. The advisory, issued by the Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit, cautions that cybercriminals exploit the increase in online shopping and digital transactions during the festive period to dupe people through phishing links, fake offers and AI-enabled deception.

Among the scams flagged by the police is a viral WhatsApp message falsely attributed to the Prime Minister or the Central Government, promising ₹8,000 as a Deepavali gift to citizens. The police have also warned against malicious APK files circulated as Deepavali greeting cards or wedding invitations, which can compromise users’ devices when installed.