WhatsApp says money was debited - reply YES or NO? Don't reply
Short answer
Do not reply - it is a scam. Banks send transaction alerts by SMS from their own sender ID and in their own app; they do not ask you to reply YES or NO on WhatsApp from an unknown number. Police in Hyderabad, Chittoor and Bengaluru warned in October 2026 that the message is built to panic you into answering, and that the chat is then used to push links, files, APK apps or screen-sharing apps. Check for the transaction only in your bank’s official app or net banking, then block and report the sender.
Medium riskWhatsAppTelangana, Karnataka, Andhra PradeshUpdated 30 Oct 2026
'Money debited - reply YES or NO' message on WhatsApp
A WhatsApp message posing as a bank alert says money was debited and asks you to reply YES or NO. Police in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chittoor warn it is built to panic you into responding, which opens the door to further fraud.
⚙️ How it works
A first message from an unknown number, made to look like a bank transaction alert, claims a debit you do not recognise; a follow-up asks you to reply YES or NO. There is often no link and no OTP request, so it looks harmless - the fear of losing money is the hook. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar (October 2026) called it an 'auto-execution file attack' that can expose the phone to malware. Chittoor SP Tushar Dudi (14 October 2026) said there is no established technical evidence that replying 'NO' alone hacks a phone, but warned that the chat is used to push links, files, APK apps or screen-sharing apps. On 29 October 2026 Bengaluru City Police issued the same advisory: replying can expose you to further fraud attempts.
🚩 Red flags
A 'debit alert' on WhatsApp from an unknown number, not from your bank's SMS sender or app
Being asked to reply YES or NO to stop or confirm a transaction
Pressure to act at once because money 'has already gone'
Files, APKs, links or a screen-sharing request sent after you reply
✅ What to do
Do not reply, and do not open any file or link from the sender.
Check for the transaction only in your bank's official app or net banking, or on its verified customer-care number.
Block and report the sender.
Never share OTP, PIN, password or CVV, and never install an app sent in the chat.
If money was lost, tell your bank at once and call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in.
Already paid, shared a code or your screen? Call your bank on the number printed on your card and block the card.
Then call 1930, India’s national cyber-fraud helpline, and report it on
cybercrime.gov.in the same day.
Questions people ask about this message
Is the WhatsApp 'money debited - reply YES or NO' message real?
No. It comes from an unknown number and is only made to look like a bank alert. Your bank does not ask you to confirm or stop a payment by replying YES or NO on WhatsApp. Bengaluru City Police (29 October 2026) said replying can expose you to further fraud attempts.
Will replying 'NO' hack my phone?
Chittoor SP Tushar Dudi (14 October 2026) said there is no established technical evidence that a 'NO' reply alone hacks a phone; Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar called the message an 'auto-execution file attack' that can expose the phone to malware. Either way the advice is the same: the reply tells the scammer you are listening, and the links, files, APK apps or screen-sharing requests that follow are where the money is lost. Do not reply, and do not open anything the sender sends.
There is no link and no OTP request. Why is it dangerous?
That is what makes it look harmless. The hook is the fear of losing money: a debit you do not recognise, and pressure to act at once because the money 'has already gone'. Once you answer, the follow-up messages bring the link, the file or the call.
How do I check if money really left my account?
Open your bank’s official app or net banking yourself, or call the customer-care number printed on your card or on the bank’s own website. Never use a number or link given in the WhatsApp message.
I already replied, or opened a file from the chat. What now?
Stop chatting and block the number. If you installed an app or a screen-sharing tool, uninstall it, switch off mobile data and Wi-Fi, and change your banking passwords from another device. Never share an OTP, PIN, password or CVV. If money has gone, tell your bank at once and call 1930 or report it on cybercrime.gov.in the same day.
How can I check another message like this?
Paste the text into the free scam checker on this site - it runs in your browser and nothing you paste is uploaded. On an Android phone the Aegix app has the same checker, scans links before they open and shows this alert in its Scam Radar.
Let the phone warn you next time
Aegix is an Android security app from CryoSim, free to install, no account. Its Scam Radar lists the scams spreading in India,
filtered to your state; Scam Checker reads any message or link you paste in; and scam-SMS warnings (Aegix Premium, first month
free for new users) flag a scam-looking SMS as it arrives. Aegix flags the message; it does not delete it.
