The Rajasthan Police Cyber Crime Branch has issued a detailed advisory urging citizens across the state to immediately activate key security settings on WhatsApp, warning that minor negligence could expose personal chats, private photos, banking credentials, and other sensitive data to cybercriminals. The advisory was announced on Friday, 23 May as part of the branch's ongoing statewide awareness campaign against digital fraud.

What the Advisory Covers

Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) V.K. Singh said that even small lapses in digital hygiene can allow hackers to seize control of WhatsApp accounts and access confidential information. He stressed that the growing sophistication of cybercriminals makes proactive security measures essential for every smartphone user.

The advisory outlines six specific steps citizens should take without delay to secure their accounts.

Six Steps Rajasthan Police Want You to Take Now

1. Enable Two-Step Verification: Users should navigate to Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification and set a secret PIN. According to the advisory, this ensures that even if fraudsters clone a SIM card, they cannot access the WhatsApp account without the PIN.

2. Restrict Privacy Settings: Profile photo, last seen, status, and group settings should be limited to 'My Contacts' under Privacy Settings. This prevents misuse of personal images and blocks unknown persons from adding users to fraudulent groups.

3. Disable Auto-Download: Cybercriminals reportedly circulate malware-infected APK and PDF files through WhatsApp. If auto-download is enabled, such files save silently to the device and can steal banking and personal data in the background. Users are advised to disable auto-download entirely under Storage and Data settings.

4. Silence Unknown Callers: Activating the Silence Unknown Callers feature under Privacy Settings helps filter out spam calls and international scam calls, which have surged in recent months.

5. Protect IP Address in Calls: The Protect IP Address in Calls option under Advanced Privacy settings routes calls through WhatsApp servers, concealing the user's real location from potential attackers.

6. Audit Linked Devices: Citizens are urged to periodically review the Linked Devices section on WhatsApp. Any unrecognised device should trigger an immediate remote logout.

Growing Cyber Threat Landscape in Rajasthan

The advisory comes as cybercrime cases continue to rise across Rajasthan, mirroring a national trend. WhatsApp, with its near-universal adoption in India, has increasingly become a vector for SIM-swap attacks, phishing links, and impersonation scams. This is not the first such advisory from the Cyber Crime Branch — officials have been running awareness drives across districts, but the WhatsApp-specific guidance marks one of the more granular public-facing communications from the branch.

Notably, the focus on APK-based malware reflects a pattern seen in multiple states, where fraudsters disguise malicious files as utility bills, courier notifications, or government documents to trick users into downloading them.

How to Report Cyber Fraud

The Rajasthan Police Cyber Crime Branch has urged citizens not to delay reporting any suspected fraud. Complaints can be filed at the nearest police station or cyber police station, through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, or by calling the national cyber helpline number 1930.

With digital transactions and mobile-based communication now deeply embedded in daily life, officials say timely reporting remains the most effective tool to contain fraud and recover losses.