One in every three people in the country has faced identity theft at some point, according to Maharashtra Cyber, the nodal office under Maharashtra government for cyber crime investigation and maintenance of cyber security in the state.
The state cyber, which recently issued an advisory following a rise in the number of identity theft cases in the state, said that over 36% Indians have suffered social or financial identity theft.
Fraudsters steal information through various platforms, including social media websites/apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the state cyber said, and warned that even the government registers and public records were not foolproof against such thefts.
The agency has advised people to take precautions to safeguard identity.
The cyber official said that one should be especially careful while using mobile phones and computers for online banking and also while submitting personal details online. “People should not click on any suspicious links sent through SMSes or WhatsApp or email nor should they share the OTP number,” the cyber official warned.