Film stars Ayushmann, Rashmika promote tips to safeguard against cybercrimes

New Delhi: From a woman posing as senior HR manager at Cognizant Technology Solutions to cheat job aspirants in Hyderabad to fraudsters looting crores of money through investment frauds, hundreds of cybercrimes are reported in India.Despite police awareness drives, many people are losing money through online scams. The government and other agencies working on cybercrime are bringing in film actors to spread the word.

While Meta has partnered with Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, actress Rashmika Mandanna has been named national brand ambassador of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.

‘Scams se Bacho’

Meta launched its safety campaign ‘Scams se Bacho’ with Ayushmann to educate people on how to stay safe from online scams and promote safer digital practices. Launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Meta’s campaign emphasised the company’s commitment to safeguarding people online, supporting the government’s goal to combat the rising cases of scams and cyber frauds in the country.

What is the campaign about?

The educational campaign showcased some of the most common scams people face in their daily lives, encouraging people to stay alert and exercise caution before they take any action.

The film further highlighted a host of safety features on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp that empower users to take control of their online safety.

The campaign shows a wide range of scams ranging from OTP scams that compromise personal accounts and confidential information, impersonation scams where scammers create a sense of urgency to trick people into giving them money and trading and investment scams promising unreasonable returns and fake loans apps and offers. The campaign demonstrates how Meta’s simple yet effective safety features can help secure people from online scams and frauds.

Important reminder while navigating the online world

In the PSA, Ayushmann Khurrana starred as a vigilant wedding guest who encounters people on the brink of falling prey to scams and saves the day with his quick thinking and comedic flair. Highlighting Meta’s safety features like two-factor authentication, block and report option, and WhatsApp’s group privacy settings, the campaign is an important reminder of how Meta’s in-built product features and safety tools equip people with the necessary safeguards to help protect them from online scams, frauds and account compromising threats.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Ayushmann Khurrana said, “In today’s digital landscape, with the rampant increase of online scams and frauds that sometimes can seem very convincing – it’s crucial that we stay vigilant and educate ourselves about how to stay safe. I’m thrilled to be a part of Meta’s safety initiative that aims to drive awareness around how people can safeguard themselves from potential cyber scams. It’s an important reminder to think twice before you act and use Meta’s safety tools at your disposal, empowering you to take control of your online safety.”

Shivnath Thukral, vice president and head of Public Policy at Meta India said, “We recognise the severity of the rising incidents of online scams and believe combatting this issue requires concrete and cooperative measures across the ecosystem. Meta continues to invest in technology and resources to stay ahead of scammers and our safety campaign ‘Scams se Bacho’ is an extension of our efforts to educate users about the safety tools and features they have at their fingertips to protect themselves from scams online. We hope this campaign resonates with our users and equips them with the information they need to secure themselves along with reinforcing consumer habits that can help them stay safe and protect their friends and family.”

About Meta

Meta has over 40,000 people working on safety and security globally, with more than $20 billion invested in teams and technology since 2016. This includes 15,000 content reviewers who review content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in more than 70 languages - including 20 Indian languages. Over the past three years, Meta has launched 50+ safety tools and features to promote online safety and we’re always looking at new ways to help educate consumers about online safety, as well as finding new methods to strengthen our systems against scam content.

Rashmika Mandanna named national brand ambassador

On Tuesday, Actor Rashmika Mandanna was named as the national brand ambassador of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to deal with cybercrime in the country.

The actor, popular for films such as ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, ‘Dear Comrade’, and ‘Animal’, made headlines after a deepfake video of her was widely circulated on social media earlier this year.

As someone who faced the impact of cybercrime, Mandanna said it’s time for ‘stricter measures to protect our online world’. “Let’s unite to build a safer cyberspace for ourselves and future generations. I want to bring awareness and protect as many of you as possible from cybercrimes as I take on the role of brand ambassador for I4C. Let me and the Government of India help you,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

She urged people to report cybercrimes by calling on the number 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in. website. Cyber Dost, the cyber-safety and cybersecurity awareness handle maintained by the MHA, welcomed Mandanna as the national brand ambassador of I4C.