Amritsar: In a high-profile cybercrime incident, the WhatsApp account of Bhagwant Singh Dhangera, the manager of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), was hacked on Friday, April 17, 2026. The hackers reportedly used the compromised account to send fraudulent messages to the manager’s friends, relatives, and professional contacts, requesting an urgent transfer of ₹45,000. The messages claimed that the funds were needed immediately due to a technical failure with UPI payments and promised that the money would be returned within two hours.
The breach occurred following a deceptive phone call Dhangera received regarding a supposed parcel delivery. The caller instructed him to dial a specific number, and shortly after doing so, his WhatsApp account was disabled and taken over by the hackers. Upon realizing the security breach, Dhangera acted quickly to issue a public warning, advising his contacts to ignore any suspicious messages sent from his number. He has also filed an official complaint with the Galiara Police Post located near the Golden Temple complex.
Amritsar police have initiated an investigation into the matter, tracking the digital footprints left by the scammers. This incident highlights an increasing trend of “parcel delivery” scams being used to gain unauthorized access to mobile devices and social media accounts. Authorities have urged public figures and residents to remain vigilant against unsolicited calls and to never dial unknown codes or numbers prompted by strangers, as these can facilitate the remote hijacking of communication apps.
