I4C Warns of WhatsApp Malware Campaign; Police Alert on Microsoft Teams CEO Impersonation Fraud

New Delhi: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), has issued an advisory warning about a sophisticated malware campaign targeting WhatsApp users.

In a related development, a senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said cyber fraudsters are also increasingly using Microsoft Teams to impersonate the CEO or Managing Director of companies and instruct employees to transfer money to mule or fraudulent bank accounts. 

The officer said organisations, particularly finance teams, should remain vigilant and never act on urgent fund transfer or bank account change requests received through WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams or email without independently verifying the instruction through a direct voice call or in-person confirmation. "Employees need to be aware of such tactics, as fraudsters are exploiting trust and urgency to carry out financial frauds," the officer cautioned.

I4C said it has proactively alerted potential victims, shared threat indicators with CERT-In, Microsoft Defender and leading Indian anti-virus firms, and protected over 10,000 Indians through coordinated interventions. More than 58,000 potential victims have also been alerted over the last 30 days through SMS sent from the 'I4CMHA-G' header.

The agency has advised citizens not to download or open ZIP files or executable files received from unknown sources, regularly review linked WhatsApp devices, keep anti-malware software updated, and immediately report cyber fraud or suspicious communications to the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.