Bengaluru: Police commissioner B Dayananda has issued an advisory, cautioning people about cyber fraudsters leveraging the Indo-Pak conflict to steal personal data, potentially leading to financial theft and privacy breaches.In a video advisory, Dayananda noted that using the tensions between India and Pakistan, cyber criminals are employing phishing tactics, disseminating fake news, and sharing malicious links to exploit public interest in the conflict.“These criminals take advantage of your curiosity to deceive you into dangerous situations,” Dayananda warned in the advisory.Police have identified several common tactics being utilised by fraudsters, including messages offering exclusive updates or leaked footage related to the conflict. These links typically direct users to fraudulent websites or download malware onto devices, resulting in data theft.Other suspicious content to be wary of includes files labelled “Army job application”, “Dance of the Hillary”, or “Executive file tasksche.exe”, which are described as classic phishing techniques designed to extract personal information.The advisory outlines several protective measures for WhatsApp and social media users: “Avoid opening unknown files, even from known contacts; refrain from forwarding suspicious content; download applications exclusively from official online stores; exercise caution with links claiming to show conflict updates, and report and exit suspicious WhatsApp groups immediately.”For enhanced WhatsApp security, Dayananda recommends disabling media auto-download features and enabling two-step verification.People are also advised to: Ignore emails from unknown senders, particularly those with urgent subject lines related to the conflict; avoid downloading attachments or clicking links in unsolicited emails; scrutinise email addresses carefully as phishing emails often impersonate legitimate organisations, enable two-factor authentication and maintain updated antivirus software.For general cyber protection, Dayananda advises caution about messages claiming to show sensitive or exclusive news, as these could be fake news or disguised malware. Regular data backups are also recommended.Speaking to TOI, Dayananda confirmed that while no related cybercrime incidents have been reported in the city thus far, the advisory is issued based on guidance from the Centre.