Ranchi: Cyber criminals are also targeting the elected representatives of the state frequently as a few MLAs on Friday revealed that they have received calls with attractive offers and were subjected to social media impersonation to malign their image.The public representatives aired their views during an interactive session on ‘Future of DigitalSafety and Policy’ on the old state assembly premises. The Cyber Peace, The Asia Foundation (TAF) and Bal Kalyan Sangh, along with the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, organised the programme for the MLAs. However, only three out of the 81 MLAs attended the programme.Addressing the gathering, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto said that there was a need for strict laws to ensure that cyber criminals do not get bail easily. He added that both central and the state govt should consider such laws.Sharing his experience, Ranchi MLA CP Singh said that he received a call where the person on the other side told him that he won a Rs 1 lakh prize.Hatia MLA Navin Jaiswal said that he received a call from a person impersonating a bank manager who offered to employ several of his followers. He added that another caller claimed that he was a worker and discovered a gold treasure from the earth.Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Manjhi claimed that a fake video on chief minister Hemant Soren and his wife, Kalpana Soren, was circulated by a group of criminals to tarnish their image just before the state assembly elections.Several topics, including how to create a strong password, caution during using free Wi-Fi, outdated software in computers, and deepfake voice and video, were discussed in the meet.
