The Chittoor district police have warned the public against cyber fraudsters sending fake WhatsApp messages in the name of the Income Tax Department and other government agencies.In a statement issued on Friday, Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi said fraudsters were circulating messages carrying subject lines such as “Pay Tax”, “Income Tax Pending”, “Tax Refund”, “E-Verification” and “Penalty Notice” to frighten recipients into clicking malicious links or installing APK files.The SP said such files could enable cyber criminals to gain access to sensitive information, including SMS, contact lists, banking details, one-time passwords (OTPs) and UPI credentials. Fraudsters could also misuse accessibility, screen-sharing and remote-access permissions to take control of mobile phones.Mr. Dudi advised the public not to click on unknown links or install APK files received through WhatsApp or SMS. He urged taxpayers to carry out all tax-related transactions only through official government portals or authorised applications.Victims of cyber fraud should immediately call the national cybercrime helpline, 1930, or lodge a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at http://www.cybercrime.gov.in. Published - August 07, 2026 06:45 pm IST