Cries for Covid help on social media triggers porn flood; cyber activists helping out

Mumbai: Last week, Shasvathi Siva was desperately hunting for medical supplies for a family emergency. Her post which had her mobile number was shared on Instagram and within a couple of hours, she was flooded with sexually explicit calls, messages and videos.

This is just one example of the cybercrime incidents that have increased in tandem with the sharp rise in Covid cases in India and the use of social media to seek help. Cyber activists and volunteers have entered thousands of groups on WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Twitter to weed out fake numbers circulating as remdesivir, oxygen and hospital bed providers, and conning the hapless to pay for them.