#FactCheck: IAF Shivangi Singh was captured by Pakistan army after her Rafale fighter jet was shot down

Executive Summary:

The viral video circulating on social media about the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team recently broke the Asian record and qualified for the finals of the world Athletics championship. The fact check reveals that this is not a recent event but it is from the World World Athletics Championships, August 2023 that happened in Budapest, Hungary. The Indian team comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh, clocked a time of 2 minutes 59.05 seconds, finishing second behind the USA and breaking the Asian record. Although they performed very well in the heats, they only got fifth place in the finals. The video is being reuploaded with false claims stating its a recent record. 

Claims:

A recent claim that the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team set the Asian record and qualified to the world finals.

Fact Check:

In the recent past, a video of the Indian Men’s 4x400m relay team which set a new Asian record is viral on different Social Media. Many believe that this is a video of the recent achievement of the Indian team. Upon receiving the posts, we did keyword searches based on the input and we found related posts from various social media. We found an article published by ‘The Hindu’ on August 27, 2023.

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According to the article, the Indian team competed in the World Athletics Championship held in Budapest, Hungary. During that time, the team had a very good performance. The Indian team, which consisted of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh, completed the race in 2:58.47 seconds, coming second after the USA in the event. 

The earlier record was 3.00.25 which was set in 2021. 

This was a new record in Asia, so it was a historic moment for India. Despite their great success, this video is being reshared with captions that implies this is a recent event, which has raised confusion. We also found various social media posts posted on Aug 26, 2023. We also found the same video posted on the official X account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the caption of the post reads, “Incredible teamwork at the World Athletics Championships! 

Anas, Amoj, Rajesh Ramesh, and Muhammed Ajmal sprinted into the finals, setting a new Asian Record in the M 4X400m Relay. 

This will be remembered as a triumphant comeback, truly historical for Indian athletics.”

This reveals that this is not a recent event but it is from the World World Athletics Championships, August 2023 that happened in Budapest, Hungary. 

Conclusion:

The viral video of the recent news about the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team breaking the Asian record is not true. The video was from August 2023 that happened at the World Athletics Championships, Budapest. The Indian team broke the Asian record with 2 minutes 59.05 seconds in second position while the US team obtained first position with a timing of 2 minutes 58.47 seconds. However, the video circulated projecting as a recent event is misleading and false.

• Claim:  Recent achievement of the Indian men's 4x400m relay team broke the Asian record and qualified for the World finals.
• Claimed on: X, LinkedIn, Instagram
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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Introduction

WhatsApp has become the new platform for scams, and the number of cases of WhatsApp scams is increasing daily. Just like that, a new WhatsApp scam has been started, and many WhatsApp users in India have reported receiving missed calls from unknown international numbers. Worse, one does not even have to answer the call to be scammed. A missed call is sufficient to be scammed.

Millions of populations switch from normal SMS to WhatsApp, usually, people used to get fake messages and marketing messages, but the trend of scamming has been evolving now.  Most people get calls from different countries, and they are concerned about how these scammers got the numbers. WhatsApp works through VoIP networks, so no extra charges from any country exist. And about 500 million WhatsApp users are getting these scam calls, the calls are mainly on job-scams of promising part-time employment and opportunities. These types of job scam calls have been started reporting in 2023.

People reporting missed calls from countries like Ethiopia (+251), Malaysia (+60), Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), etc.

The agenda of these calls are still unclear. Still, in some cases, the scammers ask for confidential information from WhatsApp users, like bank details, so the users must not reveal their personal information. Also, it is important to note that if you get any calls from a particular country, it necessarily does not mean it is from that country. Various agencies sell international numbers for WhatsApp calls.

Why has WhatsApp become a hub scam?

The generation has evolved and dumped the old SMS into WhatsApp. From school to college and offices, people use WhatsApp for their official work, as it is very easy and user-friendly, so people avoid safety measures. Generally, users need to understand the consequences of technology and use it with safeguards and awareness. Many people lose money and become victims of scams on WhatsApp as they share their confidential information. And the worse is that one does not even have to answer the call to be scammed. A missed call is sufficient to be scammed.

Before these international calls scam, the user received a call from the scam that they were from KBC, and the user won something. Then sought confidential information by the excuse that they would transfer the money to the user, and because of that user got scammed by the scammers. These scams have risen rapidly lately.

Safeguards users can use against these scam calls

WhatsApp responds to complaints regarding international calls to “block and report.”

If you have already received such calls, the best thing you can do is report and block them right away. As a result, the same number does not return to your phone, and numerous identical reports may persuade WhatsApp to delete the number entirely.

WhatsApp is also working on an update allowing users to block calls from unknown numbers on the service.

Users must modify their phone’s and app’s fundamental privacy settings to protect themselves from data breaches. The calls are directed toward app users who are actively using the app. However, by modifying the account’s appearance, a user can lessen the likelihood of being added to the scammers’ attack lists.

Limit Privacy

Begin by modifying WhatsApp’s ‘who can see’ settings. If your profile photo, last seen, and online status are visible to anybody, restrict them to persons on your contact list only. Change the About and Groups options as well.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Enabling two-factor authentication on WhatsApp adds more security to your data. In addition, the app also supports biometric protection in case of theft or loss.

Active Reporting

The users should report as soon as they see something odd or suspicious activity.

A typical question that users have is, ‘Where do the scammers acquire my phone number from?’

The answer is a little more complicated than we thought. Your data is retained on the company database from the time you sign up on a website or reveal your phone number at a store in order to take advantage of promotional offers and promotions. Due to a lack of technological infrastructure and legislation to protect personal data, a scammer can simply obtain your information.

According to Palo Alto research, India is the second most vulnerable country in the APAC region in terms of cyberattacks and data breaches. A data protection law is essential in the face of increasing calls and data breaches.

The Digital Personal Data Protection bill is set to be introduced in the parliament’s monsoon session. The bill has the potential to protect data, which will help to eliminate scams.

Conclusion

Several people had tweeted on tweeter about receiving fake calls on WhatsApp from international numbers more than once. WhatsApp encrypts calls and messages, making it difficult to track the person, and it appears that hackers are taking advantage of this to swindle customers. If you receive a WhatsApp call from any of the above ISD codes, we strongly advise you not to answer it and to block the number so the bad actors do not call you again. Report & block immediately that’s what WhatsApp has been responding to the complainants.

Introduction

A new dawn in the realm of cyber security and criminal justice is on the horizon. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has recently announced the advent of the country's most sophisticated cyber lab—a bastion against the dark arts of cybercrime. This announcement, made with the gravitas befitting a statesman, was not merely a bureaucratic note; it was a clarion call to a future where technology and law converge to create a safer society.

The cyber lab, poised to be the largest and most modern of its kind, is not just a facility—it is a symbol of the state's commitment to harnessing the power of technology in the ceaseless battle against crime. Fadnavis, who also holds the state's home portfolio, underscored the significance of this initiative during a function where he also emphasised the need for the Maharashtra police to brace themselves for the enforcement of three transformative criminal laws set to take effect from the first of July 2024.

In compliance with the New Laws

These laws—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharat Sakshya Act—They are not mere statutory texts; they are the architects of a new edifice of criminal justice, designed with the mortar of modern electronic and technical evidence to buttress the conviction rates and fortify the legal system.

At the inauguration of the Evidence Management Centre (EMC) and the Evidence Dispatch Van (EDV) in Navi Mumbai, Fadnavis spoke with an air of prescience about the radical shifts these new acts will engender. The EMC, a paragon of innovation with its no-human-intervention ethos, is set to revolutionise the procedure of handling evidence, thereby amplifying the likelihood of securing convictions in an era increasingly marred by cyber frauds and hacking escapades.

Recent Trend

The Deputy Chief Minister's vision extends beyond the present, into a realm where blockchain technology becomes an ally of law enforcement, rendering evidence tampering an obsolete concern. Under the new legislative framework, expert collection of evidence is mandated for crimes with sentences exceeding seven years, a move that underscores the gravity with which digital and electronic evidence is now regarded.

The Cyber Lab

The Navi Mumbai police Commissionerate stands as the vanguard of this new legal era, being the first in the country to align with the upcoming laws. As digital transactions burgeon, so too does the evil of cybercrime. Fadnavis assures us that the cyberlaw, a veritable nexus of modernity, will bring together banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and social media platforms on a unified platform to detect and thwart crimes with alacrity.

This announcement was made in the presence of Maharashtra's Director General of Police, Rashmi Shukla, and Navi Mumbai's police commissioner, Milind Bharambe, both of whom are key figures in the conception of this project. Their attendance shows the collective resolve of Maharashtra's law enforcement to elevate its capabilities in cybercrime prevention.

Conclusion

The establishment of this cyber lab is a vivid thread woven with the intent to protect the digital integrity of its citizens. It is a testament to the state's foresight and its unwavering commitment to staying abreast of the evolving landscape of crime and technology. As we stand on the cusp of this new era, we are reminded that the fight against crime is perennial, but with such pioneering initiatives, victory is not just a possibility—it is an inevitability.

References

• https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/navi-mumbai-cyber-lab-criminal-laws-fadnavis-9206801/
• https://www.the420.in/why-maharashtras-new-cyber-lab-could-be-a-game-changer-for-national-security/
• https://apacnewsnetwork.com/2024/03/navi-mumbai-to-host-indias-most-advanced-crime-busting-lab-boosting-conviction-rates-maharashtra-deputy-cm-fadnavis-announces/

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