A WhatsApp message claiming that money has been debited from your bank account can trigger panic, especially when it asks you to reply immediately if you did not make the transaction. But should you respond?

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar has warned people against replying to such messages from unknown numbers, alleging that a victim lost money after responding “NO” without sharing an OTP or clicking on a suspicious link.

In a post on X, Sajjanar described the alleged incident as an “auto-execution file attack” and said even a chartered accountant had reportedly fallen victim to the fraud. However, the specific claim that replying to a text message automatically activates hidden malware has not been independently verified.

According to Sajjanar, the fraud begins with a message from an unknown number claiming that a sum has been debited from the recipient’s bank account. A follow-up message asks the recipient to reply “NO” if they did not authorise the transaction.

The apparent aim is to create urgency and prompt an immediate response before the recipient checks their account. Sajjanar claimed that replying could trigger hidden malicious scripts, allowing fraudsters to take control of the phone and steal money.

The technical explanation needs independent verification. A reply to an ordinary text message does not normally install malware on an updated smartphone. However, malicious attachments, deceptive links, unsafe app installations and software vulnerabilities can expose users to cyberattacks.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has separately warned about malicious files circulated through messaging platforms that can compromise devices.

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