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India Geo-Blocks Wingo Fraud Network, Issues Nationwide Alert to Android Users

Authorities acted after reports the app hijacked phones to send fraudulent SMS.

Overview

  • The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Home Ministry cut off Wingo’s command-and-control servers through geo-blocking.
  • Officials blocked four Telegram channels linked to the operation with about 153,000 subscribers and facilitated the removal of more than 53 promotional YouTube videos.
  • Investigators describe Wingo as a platform offering earnings from SMS tasks that functioned as a “telecom mule as a service” scheme.
  • The app allegedly pushed upfront deposits via UPI or personal wallets, requested intrusive permissions, and in many cases locked users out or disappeared from the Play Store.
  • The government urges users to uninstall suspicious apps, file reports on the cybercrime portal, and call the national helpline at 1930, with inquiries continuing.