That Happy New Year text on WhatsApp could empty your bank account

That Happy New Year message from a relative could be a malicious APK. Beware of such messages. Here’s what you need to know.

New Year 2026 is almost here, and it is a time when many people receive greetings on social media platforms and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, with users sending Happy New Year messages. But what if we told you that police forces across India are warning citizens about potential New Year message scams, where you receive a Happy New Year greeting, but clicking on it could actually lead to your phone being hacked and you losing a lot of money?

Here is how the scam works

Beware of apk scams on WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps.

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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The scam involves you receiving an APK file that is masked as a Happy New Year greeting on apps like WhatsApp. There may be a clear mention of the file having an APK extension, but it could be accompanied by fancy text or an image that masks the file. Once you click on it, the file gets installed, and once installed, attackers are most likely to gain access to your phone, which is obviously not good for you.

What are the key things that you should keep in mind?

First, this message could come from trusted contacts, because the possibility that their account has been hacked is very real. So do not trust a message even if it comes from a trusted contact, such as your brother, sister, partner, or parents, as their account could have been compromised.

Next, do not click on such messages, because the moment you install an APK file, things can go wrong for you. Finally, do not turn on the option to sideload APK apps on your Android phone, as this gives permission to install APK files from outside the Google Play Store.

And finally, if you have an iPhone, you do not have to worry about APK files, as they cannot be installed on iPhones. However, you should still pay close attention to any links or unfamiliar messages you receive, as links can be problematic as well.

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