Mangaluru: Amidst reports of parents of school students receiving threat calls from individuals impersonating police officers, a cyber expert has raised concerns about the easy availability of personal data online. Several parents reported receiving calls from individuals claiming to have arrested their children and demanding money for their release.
“These impersonators have exploited the easy access to personal data online, available for as little as Rs 2,500,’’ said Ananth Prabhu G, a cyber law and security expert and professor at Sahyadri College of Engineering. He explained, “Databases containing details of SSLC candidates, including names, roll numbers, parents’ names, mobile numbers, and schools, or any competitive exam held across India, are easily available online, and not even on the dark web. This year, nearly eight lakh candidates appeared for the board exams, making such information easily accessible to cybercriminals. While PU college administrations purchase these databases to send bulk promotional SMS, criminals use them for more malicious purposes, like the threat calls targeting parents.”
Prabhu noted that criminals are aware that schools and colleges prohibit mobile phones on campus and often lack accessible contact information online, making it difficult for parents to verify such claims. He advised parents to store the landline numbers of their child’s school, principal, and class teacher to ensure they can quickly verify any alarming calls. “Despite the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, student data from exams like MBA, NEET, and JEE remains easily obtainable. Cybercriminals capitalize on this data, using it for various schemes, including phishing. To combat this, stricter measures from data protection officers are essential,” he said.
Spoofing, where calls appear to come from a familiar number, further complicates matters. Prabhu recommended cutting the call and redialing the number to expose the spoof. “While a professor was a victim of a spoofed call on Wednesday, parents may receive calls seemingly from their child’s number, prompting immediate concern. This method reveals the real caller, as the returned call does not go to the spoofed number,” he said.
Additionally, Prabhu warned about the growing threat posed by deep fake audio technology. “With AI algorithms capable of mimicking voices after just ten seconds of audio, criminals can convincingly impersonate familiar voices. This has led to incidents where individuals receive fraudulent calls that seem to come from their bosses or loved ones, asking them to make payments. Hence, those who upload voice messages on Instagram and other social media platforms need to be cautious,” he said.