Maha Kumbh Dominates Misinformation In Jan & Feb

LEARN WITH BOOM

You might have read reports on how just by clicking on a link, people lost their money or how by filling in your personal details on an unsafe website, your account got hacked. 

Cybercriminals look for loopholes to steal your personal information which, in many cases, leads to identity theft and ultimately financial loss. 

Here are a few simple tips that will help you in being vigilant and not be tricked. 

1. Examine the sender's address: Phishing emails often try to appear as legitimate senders, but a closer look at the "From" address reveals inconsistencies. Always scrutinise the sender's email address. Look for misspellings, unusual domain names, or addresses that don't quite match the supposed sender.

2. Creating a sense of urgency: Scammers try to create a sense of urgency or fear to pressure you into immediate action. Be wary of emails or messages that demand immediate action, threaten account suspension, or claim you've won a lottery you never entered. 

3. Hover before you click any link: Links in phishing emails often lead to fake websites designed to steal your information. Before clicking on any link, hover your mouse over it (without clicking) to preview the actual URL. If the URL doesn't match the displayed text or looks suspicious, don't click. For example: a link that says "www.yourbank.com" but leads you to "www.randomphishingsite.net" is a clear red flag.

4. Double-Check Information Requests: Scam mails or SMSs may ask you for your personal information like passwords, credit card numbers, etc. However, authentic organisations rarely request sensitive information via email or unsolicited messages. If you're unsure, contact the organisation directly through official channels. For example: a message asking for your bank login details "to verify your account."

5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): 2FA adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for cybercriminals to access your accounts even if they have your password. Enable 2FA whenever possible, not just for your email but social media accounts as well. This mechanism involves receiving a code on your phone or using an authentication app.

DECODE

It Is A Battle For The Homeless To Find Night Shelter Without Aadhaar Card

• Despite freezing winter temperatures, elderly homeless people like 70-year-old Amanullah were denied entry to Delhi's government shelters for lacking Aadhaar cards they couldn't obtain. 

• The Centre for Holistic Development reported 180 cold-related deaths among Delhi's homeless last winter and 192 deaths during a single heatwave week in June. 

• Supreme Court rulings explicitly state that "no person should suffer for not getting Aadhaar," yet shelter access continues to be restricted based on documentation. 

• During elections and national events, shelter homes intensified documentation requirements, with staff admitting they were "instructed by higher authorities" to deny entry to anyone without Aadhaar cards and mobile phones.

Decode’s Aatif Ammad spoke to at least a dozen homeless people who told us that they are refused entry to shelters because they don’t possess an Aadhaar card.

THE LIE COUNT

Maha Kumbh Dominates Misinformation In Jan & Feb: BOOM’s Monthly Report

In February, BOOM published 94 original fact-checks in English, Hindi, Bengali and Tamil. 

The Maha Kumbh event and recently-concluded Delhi assembly elections inspired a flurry of media misreporting in February, with BOOM fact-checking mainstream media outlets on seven different instances. Also, BOOM's fact-check database has revealed a persistent rise in media misreporting in the past four months.

Individuals attending or following the Kumbh festival were the primary targets of misinformation, accounting for 11.7% of all false claims. This was followed by claims aimed at the Muslim community (6.4%) and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta (5.3%).

EXPLAINED

Why Two Telugu Journalists Have Been Arrested Over A YouTube Video

Hyderabad police and the Telangana government are facing criticism for the arrest of two women journalists over a YouTube video critical of state Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress party. 

YouTube journalists Revathi Pogadadanda (44), managing director of YouTube channel Pulse Digital News Network, and Thanvi Yadav (25), a journalist have been arrested for airing a “derogatory” video where an elderly man is allegedly using expletives against the Chief Minister. 

What does the FIR say? Ritika Jain explains.

New Tax Bill Lets Officials Snoop On Emails, Social Media: What Does It Really Mean?

An update: Starting 1 April 2026, income tax authorities will gain access to individuals’ social media accounts, personal emails, bank accounts, online investments, trading accounts, and more.

Privacy concerns: Experts warn that this raises serious data privacy concerns, including the risk of mass surveillance, misuse of personal data, and potential concerns for foreign investments.

The clarification: Reportedly, some anonymous tax officials have dismissed concerns as fear-mongering, stating that such powers "already existed" under the 1961 Act. They clarified that access to digital platforms is only enforced during search or survey operations and only if the individual refuses to share passwords for digital storage, emails, or communication platforms like WhatsApp. 

Does this fully address the concerns? Find out in Hera Rizwan’s explainer.

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍 Mainstream news outlets ABP News and Dainik Jagran, along with several social media users, reported an old video as recent visuals of the siege of Jaffar Express in Pakistan's Balochistan Province by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Read 🔗 Srijit Das’ ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Do these videos show Afghan fans celebrating India’s win in 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final? Find out in 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Several Indian news outlets misreported an old and unrelated video of passengers inside an aircraft as a recent footage from a Chicago-Delhi Air India flight that had to return back to Chicago due to clogged toilets. 🔗 Anmol Alphonso ↗️ debunked the claim.

🅱️ RECOMMENDS

This week's recommendation is: This AI tool could give newsrooms “eyes and ears where they don’t have them”

Verified By Boom is written by Divya Chandra, edited by Adrija Bose and designed by H Shiva Roy Chowdhury.

If you have suggestions about this newsletter or want us to conduct workshops on specific topics, drop us a line at 👉 [email protected] and we will get back to you in a jiffy. Thanks for reading. See you next week.👋

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