India, Dec. 24 -- As Christmas 2025 celebrations pick up pace across India, cybercrime units are flagging a sharp rise in WhatsApp scams disguised as festive greetings, giveaways and surprise gift offers. Fraudsters are exploiting the holiday spirit to lure users into clicking malicious links that can drain bank accounts within minutes.

Cyber police say the scam is spreading rapidly through WhatsApp forwards, often appearing to come from friends, family members or trusted contacts whose accounts may already be compromised.

The scam usually begins with a festive message such as "Merry Christmas! You've received a gift" or "Christmas bonus waiting for you". The message contains a shortened or masked link claiming to offer cashback, gift v...