Your Personal Data Could Be in the Hands of Cybercriminals!

Cybercrime incidents in Hyderabad are increasingly highlighting the risks associated with sharing personal information through mobile applications. In one incident, cybercriminals allegedly kept a retired employee under digital arrest for three days by threatening to send his family members to jail and cheated him of nearly Rs. 1.5 crore. In another case, a homemaker was told that she had won an expensive car through an online shopping purchase, following which fraudsters allegedly collected Rs. 2 lakh from her. Investigations into such incidents indicate that details including Aadhaar numbers, mobile numbers and online shopping records can become potential tools for cyber fraudsters. According to the available report, several widely used applications collect up to 32 categories of user information, including contact details, health information, financial data, location, browsing history, purchases and usage patterns. Such information may reportedly enter data markets and be sold to third parties.

The situation is particularly concerning in Hyderabad, where around 10–15 cybercrime cases are reportedly registered every day within the city police commissionerate limits, with estimated losses of nearly Rs. 2 crore. Educated individuals and working professionals are also falling victim to these scams because fraudsters use personal details to make their calls appear genuine. Food delivery, shopping, dating, payment, flight booking, messaging, video calling, streaming, personal finance and GPS navigation applications are among the categories that may collect substantial user information. Cybersecurity experts advise users to carefully review privacy policies and security settings before downloading applications. People should also regularly check permissions granted to location services, cameras and microphones and disable access that is not essential for an app's functioning. Limiting unnecessary data sharing can help reduce the risk of identity theft and financial fraud.