Mobile numbers sold for Rs 5, verified Aadhaar for Rs 500-800, probe finds

Technology is changing fast and affecting everyone's life, with both benefits and drawbacks. Advances in smartphones let many tasks be done in the blink of an eye, but growing digital threats keep ordinary people constantly worried.

Cyber criminals use a variety of methods to cheat people. They frighten people into paying money. Even a small lapse can prove costly, so it is essential to be careful when taking any step in the digital world.

As digital use grows, so do the threats. Mobile numbers, email IDs and photographs linked to people's identities are being sold in cyberspace. A probe has found that mobile numbers and email IDs are being bought from third-party agents for just Rs 5, while a verified Aadhaar number costs Rs 500 to Rs 800.

This information is being bought by many, from insurance and loan-selling companies to cyber criminals. They then cause people financial, social and mental harm.

If a name, address, Aadhaar number and photo ID are linked to a mobile number or email ID, fraudsters can commit fraud in the KYC processes of banks, digital wallets, insurance and other services. They can also cheat people through SIM card swaps or by making calls that seem trustworthy.

People's OTPs and bank account details are also stolen through links sent in the name of loans, insurance, challans, KYC, refunds or government schemes.

The cyber security department has appealed to people to use Aadhaar safely. Cases have recently come to light in which third-party agents misused Aadhaar and committed crimes while Aadhaar was being updated, while applying for government schemes or while buying a SIM card.

Full caution is necessary to avoid such fraud. Download apps on your mobile only from the official Play Store, and do not give any app unnecessary permissions for contacts, gallery, location, messages, microphone and camera.