25 August,2026 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
The matter came to light after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials received a request on WhatsApp asking for money. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK
Two days after Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide took to social media and informed that her WhatsApp account had been hacked for a brief time on Saturday afternoon, no legal case has been filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
According to senior officials, the incident may not be considered a hack as Bhide's personal phone may not have been compromised; it was likely an imposter account asking for money, with Bhide's photo.
[popcorn number="Aug 22" desc="Day Ashwini Bhide reported incident" class="Default"]
Confirming the development, Bhide said, "My account was recovered within a short time, and I have no comments to make." However, the incident highlights how online financial fraud is on the rise.
A financial amount of more than Rs 11,158 crore has been saved in more than 32.80 lakh complaints this year (till June 30). Between 2021 and 2025, more than 65,89,201 complaints were made, with the fraud amount reported at Rs 55,050 crore, and more than 1,95,760 FIRs registered.
BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. FILE PIC
A senior official told mid-day that the issue came to light after BMC officers received a request, either from Bhide's hacked WhatsApp account or from an account posing as Bhide, asking for money urgently. The official informed the office of the municipal commissioner with a screenshot, and within 10 minutes the issue was resolved.
The incident prompted Bhide to urge her phonebook contacts not to send any money in case contacted by the hackers. "My WhatsApp was hacked for some time. It is restored now. Please don't send any money in case the hackers asked for it," her WhatsApp status on Saturday read.
Instances of online financial fraud have been on the rise since 2020, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Other senior government officials have also experienced similar issues in the past, including Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC, who last month lodged a first information report (FIR) with the Mumbai Cyber Police after fraudsters allegedly hacked her WhatsApp account and used it to seek money from her contacts.
Lock your phone: Set your phone to lock when you're not using it and create a PIN or passcode to unlock it.
Update software: Updates often include critical patches and protections against security threats. Keep an eye out for updates, and don't delay installing them. Update apps too.
Back up data: Regularly back up phone data to the cloud or your computer.
Phone tracking: Mobile operating systems have programmes that help find lost phones, or can lock or erase devices. Turn on this feature in settings.
Year Complaints
2020 5496
2021 5562
2022 8249
2023 8103
2024 9922
