Representational Image (AFP)
New Delhi: Fake and suspicious advertisements on social media platforms are emerging as a new gateway for cybercriminals. Users are being lured through attractive offers, job opportunities, dating propositions and other misleading promotions before being redirected to fraudulent websites or malicious applications.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a massive awareness drive to alert citizens against such malicious online advertisements, which can eventually expose them to financial fraud, identity theft, sextortion and other forms of cybercrime.
According to officials, cybercriminals increasingly exploit the advertising ecosystem to reach potential victims. “A seemingly genuine advertisement may redirect a user to a website unrelated to the advertised service, prompt the downloading of a malicious application or take the victim to a fraudulent payment gateway,” an official aware of the matter told ETV Bharat on Tuesday.
In August, a family from Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior became victims after a woman clicked on an advertisement while scrolling Instagram. The phone immediately froze and became unresponsive. The family initially did not realise that the incident could be linked to a cyberattack.
Later that night, the family discovered that nearly Rs 98,000 had disappeared from their bank account through three unauthorised UPI transactions. The victim contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930, and police subsequently registered a case and handed the investigation to the cyber cell.
Cybersecurity officials have cautioned that the presence of an advertisement on a reputed social media platform does not necessarily establish the authenticity of the advertiser or the website to which it redirects users.
“Another emerging threat involves advertisements that persuade users to download applications or visit websites offering entertainment, dating, employment or other seemingly legitimate services,” the official dealing in cybercrime cases stated.
Once the victim downloads the application or provides access to sensitive information, cybercriminals may obtain personal data, photographs, contacts or other information. “This can subsequently be used for blackmail and sextortion,” he said.
In some cases, victims are persuaded to communicate privately through messaging applications and are later threatened with the circulation of manipulated or intimate images unless money is paid.
Against this backdrop, the I4C awareness campaign is aimed at encouraging users to exercise caution before clicking on unfamiliar advertisements, downloading applications or making payments through links received online.
Officials have advised citizens to verify the authenticity of an offer independently, avoid sharing banking credentials and OTPs, and download applications only from trusted sources.
“The campaign also seeks to underline a critical cyber-safety principle: a professionally designed advertisement or a familiar social-media platform does not guarantee that the destination website, application or payment page is genuine,” he said.
The I4C has urged citizens who fall victim to cyber fraud to report the incident promptly through the government’s cybercrime reporting mechanisms, as quick reporting can improve the chances of freezing or recovering defrauded funds.
Also Read
Click Here For The Original Source.
