PNS | DEHRADUN
The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), Dehradun Chapter, organised a roundtable conference on Sunday addressing the theme Cyber Crime and Misinformation: Challenges and Solutions.
The event was aimed at spreading awareness on the increasing threat of cybercrime and misinformation while exploring practical solutions to combat these challenges. Speaking as the chief guest, Information department joint director Nitin Upadhyaya emphasised the importance of being cautious before believing or sharing any information on social media. He said, “It is our responsibility to ensure that false or misleading information is not spread in the rush to provide news quickly.” He stressed the significance of not only adopting the principle of thinking before sharing but also ‘think before you care’.
Upadhyaya also talked about the AAA plan to tackle fake news- Awareness, Advocacy and Action. He stated that awareness involves educating people, advocacy focuses on pushing for appropriate policies and laws and action entails dispelling misinformation with accurate data. The deputy superintendent of police of Dehradun Cyber Crime Police Station unit of Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) Ankush Mishra said that citizens can report cybercrime and financial fraud through the toll-free national cybercrime helpline number, 1930, which operates 24/7.
Mishra talked about the critical role of media in creating awareness about cybercrime and elaborated on various forms of cyber fraud, including deepfakes, pension scams, phishing, and AI-based voice cloning. He provided examples of fraud tactics such as SIM upgrade scams, investment fraud, biometric data theft, courier fraud and QR code scams. Mishra shared strategies to prevent such crimes, including locking biometric information via the Aadhaar website, avoiding unknown links, verifying helpline numbers from official sources, and refraining from answering video calls from unfamiliar numbers. He lauded the Uttarakhand Police for their exemplary performance in tracing and acting against cybercriminals and urged citizens to remain vigilant and resist fear or greed.
The assistant manager of Corporate Communication at THDCIL, Ishan Bhushan also discussed how misinformation is often tailored to individuals through advanced algorithms that track searches and conversations. He emphasised the need for continuous vigilance and introduced various tools to verify the sources of information and handle big data effectively.
The president of PRSI Dehradun chapter Ravi Bijarniya concluded the event by expressing the chapter’s commitment to organising similar awareness programmes on various topics in the future to benefit the community. He said that the conference served as a valuable platform for stakeholders to understand the dynamics of cybercrime and misinformation, fostering a sense of responsibility and awareness among participants to create a safer digital environment.
