New Delhi, Dec. 30 -- Telangana Police have warned people to stay alert ahead of New Year celebrations after cyber criminals began circulating dangerous "Greeting Scams" on WhatsApp and Telegram, using festive messages to secretly take control of mobile phones and bank accounts.

As Hyderabad prepares to welcome 2026, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) says scammers are exploiting festive goodwill rather than fear or greed, making these attacks harder to spot.

According to a NDTV report, users receive a New Year message that appears to come from a trusted contact whose account has already been hacked. The message includes a link claiming to offer a "special personalised greeting", a "New Year gift", or an "SBI year-end reward"....