| Your selfie could become a weapon: J&K Police warn of AI deepfake scams, blackmail, identity theft | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, May 20: That smiling selfie, cheerful Instagram reel, or casual voice note you upload in seconds could become the very tool cyber criminals use to impersonate, blackmail, and destroy your reputation.
In a stark warning issued through its official social media platforms, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has urged people to think twice before posting personal photos, videos, and sensitive information online, cautioning that artificial intelligence has given cyber fraudsters frightening new powers.
According to police, even the most innocent-looking content shared on social media can be harvested and manipulated using advanced deepfake and morphing technology to create fake identities, doctored videos, and highly convincing scams that appear shockingly real.
Cyber experts say the threat is no longer limited to celebrities and politicians. Ordinary users—especially women and young people—are increasingly becoming targets of cyber harassment, sextortion, identity theft, and reputational attacks.
A single selfie, a short video clip, or a few seconds of audio can now be transformed into fabricated content capable of ruining careers, relationships, and mental well-being.
“Your social media profile may look harmless to you, but to a cyber criminal, it is raw material,” experts warn.
The danger escalates when users share excessive personal information online.
Location tags, family photographs, copies of Aadhaar cards, identity documents, and daily routin Your social media profile may look harmless to you, but to a cyber criminal, it is raw material.
Think twice before posting personal photos, videos, and sensitive information online, artificial intelligence has given cyber fraudsters frightening new powers.
Even the most innocent-looking content shared on social media can be harvested and manipulated using advanced deepfake and morphing technology to create fake identities, doctored videos, and highly convincing scams that appear shockingly real.
The threat is no longer limited to celebrities and politicians. Ordinary users—especially women and young people—are increasingly becoming targets of cyber harassment, sextortion, identity theft, and reputational attacks.
J&K Police has specifically advised people to use masked copies of Aadhaar and other sensitive documents whenever such documents must be shared digitally.
Authorities emphasized that misuse of personal content through deepfakes, morphing, and online impersonation constitutes cyber harassment and is punishable under Indian law.
Victims are encouraged to report suspicious direct messages, fake profiles, impersonation attempts, and phishing links immediately.
Victims of cyber fraud and online abuse can file complaints through the Government of India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Women and children can also report incidents anonymously.
In cases involving non-consensual circulation of intimate images or videos, victims can seek urgent assistance from StopNCII to request the removal of such content from participating platforms.
Cyber security experts warn that deepfake tools are becoming cheaper, faster, and more sophisticated, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish real content from fabricated material.
Authorities are expected to intensify public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on identifying deepfakes and recognising warning signs before they become victims.
In the age of artificial intelligence, the most dangerous weapon in a cyber criminal’s arsenal may be the photo, video, or voice clip you posted without a second thought. |
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