Hyderabad: The city Cyber Crime Unit issued a social advisory and asked people to be cautious of phishing links disguised as Indo-Pak news. People have been requested to stop sharing videos and photos of armed forces in the wake of tensions between India and Pakistan.

The police officials of Cyber Crime wing alerted the public about a recent surge in malicious content spreading rapidly through WhatsApp, email, and Social Media platforms with respect to the Indo-Pak conflict. This content includes deceptive videos,images,‘.exe/.apk’ files and phishing links disguised as news or updates related to the ongoing Indo-Pak conflict.

The officials said that the cybercriminals were circulating malicious content under the pretext of exclusive updates, conflict-related visuals, or leaked footage, with many of these materials carrying malware, spyware, or links to phishing websites. This content can be in the form of links or even photographs sent from unknown numbers or forwarded in Whatsapp / Telegram / other social media groups.

Fact checkers can be used to avoid forwarding or downloading sensitive fake news. Be wary of messages or posts claiming to show sensitive or exclusive news on Indo-Pak conflicts, police said, appealing people to not open or forward suspicious videos, images, or links received through WhatsApp, email, or social media, even if sent by known contacts and urged to never download or click on links shared via social media without verification.

Police also cautioned people to avoid sharing unverified content, especially during sensitive geopolitical events and verify information through official government websites and official handles.