Happy New Year 2026 Scam Alert: Fake Greeting Links Target WhatsApp And Telegram Users

Happy New year 2026 Wishes Scam: With the New Year 2026 set to kick off, India's cybercrime watchdog has issued a new warning regarding an enormous increase in online scams being shared over popular messaging services, including WhatsApp and Telegram. These cons may appear harmless and pumpkiny, but they can seriously jeopardise your personal information and money.

How the Happy New Year Scam Works

The scammers are spreading the messages with links that look like digital greeting cards, virtual gifts or year-end rewards, officials say. The messages are typically upbeat and congratulatory, inviting them to tap a link to “view a greeting” or “claim a surprise”.

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What makes these scams particularly insidious is trust. Many of those links look as if they have been forwarded by close contacts or shared inside family, office or society groups, which reduces suspicion and increases the likelihood that someone will click.

What Happens When You Click the Link

The actual risk starts when the link is clicked. ” Instead of receiving a hello, the user on an Android is frequently given a download this apk. This is not your average app update file. It is malware.

Once installed, a malicious app may do the following:

- Run silently in the background

- Access to bank and payment applications

- Read OTPs received via SMS

- See photo galleries and lists of contacts

- Hijack the victim’s WhatsApp account

In a lot of instances, the hijacked WhatsApp account sends the same scam link to more potential victims on its own – this way the scam spreads very quickly in time for Christmas.

How to Protect Yourself From New Year Scam Messages

“This is an example of online scammer behaviour we would like to prevent, as the money will never be sent to the victim,” said teams targeting cybercrime.

- Avoid clicking on links that prompt you to install an app in order to see greetings or gifts

- Only trust in plain text, images or video from a reliable source.

- Use only legal downloads from app stores

- Turn on WhatsApp's two-step verification for increased account protection

- Disable automatic media download in messaging apps

- A simple rule applies here: greetings are app-free.

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If You’ve Already Clicked the Link, Here’s What to Do

If you suspect that you may have clicked a link or downloaded an app that is suspicious:

1. Unplug your phone from the internet straightaway

2. If they can't, uninstall any apps you don't recognise/installed recently

3. Let your bank know if you suspect financial information could be compromised

4. Report the Matter at Helpline 1930 — Cyber Crime Victims Help Line.

5. Lodge a complaint on the national cybercrime reporting portal

6. “Fast action can help limit damage and enable officials to trace active scam campaigns,” the bureau said.

With everyone exchanging wishes and greetings to welcome 2026, keeping your wits about you online is as important as in real life. A few minutes of caution now can save weeks of stress.