New Delhi, February 2026 — Millions of Indian government employees and pensioners are currently in the crosshairs of a sophisticated cyber fraud. Exploiting the high anticipation surrounding the 8th Pay Commission, scammers have launched a “salary calculator” fraud designed to bypass security and empty bank accounts within minutes.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued an urgent warning through its ‘CyberDost’ initiative, urging the public to stay vigilant against this evolving threat.

The WhatsApp Bait

The scam begins with a simple WhatsApp message. Using official-sounding titles like “8th CPC Salary Calculator” or “Salary Revision Tool,” fraudsters send an attachment—typically an APK file. The message promises a quick and easy way for employees to see their revised pay and arrears.

Because of the high emotional and financial stakes for approximately 50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners, many are falling into the trap of downloading these files without verifying the source.

A Silent Digital Hijack

Unlike legitimate apps found on official stores, these malicious APKs are “sideloaded,” allowing them to bypass Android’s standard security protocols. Once installed, the app acts as a digital Trojan horse, granting cybercriminals complete remote access to the victim’s smartphone.

The app operates invisibly in the background, capable of:

• Reading and intercepting SMS messages and OTPs.
• Capturing sensitive screen activity and banking credentials.
• Deleting bank alert notifications to ensure the victim remains unaware while their life savings are drained.

Exploiting the Waiting Game

Cyber experts note that these scams are timed perfectly to coincide with major policy shifts. By tapping into the eagerness of a massive workforce, criminals use the complexity of the Pay Commission as a smokescreen for theft.

The government has clarified a vital rule: The Government of India never sends APK files via WhatsApp or any messaging platform. Any such communication is, by definition, a fraud.

The Shield of Vigilance

To stay safe, authorities emphasize that official information regarding the 8th Pay Commission is only available through the dedicated government portal: aidcpc.gov.in.

If you have already clicked a suspicious link or installed a file, experts recommend an immediate factory reset of the phone and a report to the National Cyber Crime helpline. Furthermore, users should keep the “Unknown Sources” installation option disabled in their settings to prevent unauthorized apps from taking root.

Bottom Line

The “8th Pay Commission Salary Calculator” is a digital mirage. It sells the hope of a higher salary while quietly stripping away existing wealth. In the digital age, the most effective security tool remains a healthy sense of skepticism: if the calculation arrives via WhatsApp, the only person doing the math is a scammer looking for your balance.