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Hello,

It’s 12 pm on 22 September 2024 and you’re glued to BookMyShow waiting to select the seats and hit the ‘add to cart’ button to buy Coldplay’s concert tickets.

With millions of Indians logged on to the platform, only a few could actually flaunt their tickets. This led to desperation among fans that further led to an opportunity for scammers. Read on!

Cyber crimes are on a rise in India. We are not saying, look at the numbers yourself.

Frauds in figures: In a written reply to the Lok Sabha in August, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary had stated that Rs 177.05 crores was lost in cyber frauds in FY 2023-24.

2x times: This figure is as per the Reserve Bank of India data that also mentioned that it doubled from Rs 69.68 crores in FY 2022-23.

Here are some steps that you can take to not fall for such scams:

• Question & verify: the authenticity of any communication that requests personal information. Be vary of clicking on any links in SMS or emails. Rather, type the link of the official website on your browser and navigate that.

• Two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your mail, social media accounts, etc. Create strong and unique passwords on platforms that have your personal data.

• Installation alert: Recently, both ICICI bank and Punjab National Bank, had advised customers against installing any suspicious or malicious APK applications on smartphones, as it could result in potential hacking and financial loss.

• Download from trusted sources: Only use official app stores and verify the developer’s credentials.

• Be cautious with permissions: Avoid apps that unnecessarily request access to contacts or media.

• Factory reset if compromised: A reset may help remove malware, though advanced threats can persist.

• Use mobile security tools: Tools like Trend Micro or Bitdefender can offer protection.

Deepfake Watch, a weekly newsletter, is an initiative by Decode to keep you abreast of the latest developments in AI and its potential for misuse. Our goal is to foster an informed community capable of challenging digital deceptions and advocating for a transparent digital environment. 

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Trouble In Paradise: How Coldplay Fans Fell Victim to Ticket Scam

🔖 It’s 12 pm on 22 September: Millions of Indian music enthusiasts sat poised at their computers, fingers hovering over keyboards. Moments after the virtual floodgates opened for Coldplay's highly anticipated January 2025 concerts in Mumbai, the exclusive ticket partner BookMyShow's website crashed, buckled under the weight of countless eager fans.

Soon, the tickets were all sold.

FOMO is real: It was in this frenzied atmosphere that many fans, driven by their passion for Coldplay's music and the fear of missing out, fell prey to elaborate scams.

Out of desperation: Sonakshi (name changed), a young woman who was desperate for a ticket to the Coldplay concert, was duped out of Rs 38,000. "They are fluent in English, will pose as residents of abroad countries like USA, Italy or UK and start convincing you that they have the tickets by showing fake mail receipt of the tickets," she told Decode’s Shantasree Sarkar, describing the sophisticated tactics employed by these digital con artists.

"The reason for reselling tickets is that they have extra tickets and have changed their plans. Third party selling platforms like Ticketmaster or Viagogo were used as logos on the fake mail receipt for further conviction."

Read More

Locked For Years: A New Life For Assam Residents As They Finally Get Aadhaar Cards

🔖 Process of proving citizenship: During the 'Claims and Objections' round under the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam, the government claimed that over 27 lakh people had submitted their biometric data, out of more than 40 lakh people who were excluded from the draft NRC. This process was an opportunity for those excluded to provide additional documents to prove their citizenship and potentially be included in the final NRC list.

Biometrics locked of over 9 lakh citizens: In the final NRC published on August 31, 2019, more than 19 lakh people were excluded in total. However, as per the state government, a group of 9.35 lakh individuals has had their biometrics locked since then.

Life at a standstill: Decode’s Hera Rizwan spoke to residents of Assam who faced hardships due to locked biometrics, losing access to jobs, services, and schemes. While over 5 lakh biometrics have been unlocked, many still await resolution.

Read More

🚫 Fake News You Almost Fell For

🔍 A viral screenshot claims that A.R. Foods, a company with primarily Muslim employees, supplies ghee to the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, which has been accused of using animal and fish fat in its laddus. But, how true is this? Find out in 🔗 Archis Chowdhury’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 A video clip of Sudha Murty, author and Rajya Sabha MP, speaking at an event where it appears she is promoting an investing app and urging others to invest using the app, is doctored and has been made using an artificial intelligence voice clone. 🔗 Srijanee Chakraborty ↗️ debunked the claim.

🔍 A video of a young boy drinking water and then spitting it on garlands of flowers was shared claiming that it shows an Indian Muslim flower seller outside a temple in India. Find out the truth in 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ fact-check.

🅱️ Recommends

📖 This week's recommendation is: An AI chatbot helped Americans who believe in conspiracy theories “exit the rabbit hole”

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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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