Ashwini Bhide’s WhatsApp Account Hacked: BMC Commissioner Cautions Public Against Fraudulent Money Requests
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has said that her WhatsApp account has been hacked, and urged people to be cautious of any messages seeking money or assistance in her name.
Mumbai, August 22: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has said that her WhatsApp account has been hacked, and urged people to be cautious of any messages seeking money or assistance in her name. Bhide shared the information through her X account after learning that cyber fraudsters were allegedly using her identity to contact people and request money.
Bhide Urges Public To Ignore Fraudulent Messages
The BMC Commissioner asked those who receive messages from her WhatsApp account requesting financial help or any other assistance to ignore them. The warning came after she noticed that her WhatsApp account had been compromised, with the alert aimed at preventing people from falling victim to possible cyber fraud. Vivo India X Account Hacked; Cybercriminals Promote Cryptocurrency Scam.
BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide's WhatsApp Account Hacked
My WhatsApp account has been hacked. Kindly ignore any messages especially the ones seeking help and demanding money from my account.
— Ashwini Bhide (@AshwiniBhide) August 22, 2026
People receiving unexpected messages from a known contact, particularly those asking for money, have been advised to verify the request through another trusted channel before taking any action.
Similar Incident: Shiv Sena's Shaina NC's WhatsApp Also Hacked Last Month
In a similar incident last month, Shiv Sena National Secretary and spokesperson Shaina NC lodged an FIR with the Mumbai Cyber Police after fraudsters allegedly hacked her WhatsApp account and used it to seek money from her contacts. She had said her account was compromised, with fraudulent messages sent to friends, colleagues and well-wishers requesting urgent financial assistance. Nithin Kamath’s X Account Compromised in Phishing Attack, Used To Promote ‘Cryptocurrency Scam Links’; Zerodha CEO Says 2FA Prevented Full Takeover.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader also alerted her friends, colleagues and supporters through a social media post.
"My WhatsApp has been hacked. If you receive any messages from my number asking for financial help or money transfers, please ignore them completely it is not me. Do not respond to any messages, click any links, or transfer any funds coming from my number right now," Shaina NC wrote on X.
Rise In Social Media And WhatsApp Hacking Cases
Cases of social media and WhatsApp accounts being hacked or taken over by cyber fraudsters have been reported previously. In such cases, scammers may gain access to an account and then contact people in the victim's contact list while pretending to be the account holder, asking for money, personal information or other forms of assistance.
Cyber Officials Advise Verifying Before Sending Money
Mumbai cyber crime officials regularly advise users to verify urgent financial requests independently, noting that a phone call or communication through another verified channel can help confirm whether the request is genuine. People have also been advised to avoid sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), passwords or other sensitive information in response to suspicious messages.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2026 04:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
