The advisory issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Cyber Crime Department is a timely warning. But it is also a sad reminder that in our rush to embrace the digital world, we have left our guards down. Fake calls, phishing links, OTP fraud, and impersonation scams are not new. Yet, every day, unsuspecting citizens continue to fall into these traps, losing hard-earned money and sensitive personal information. The problem is not just the sophistication of fraudsters. It is our own carelessness. Let us be honest. How many of us actually enable two-step verification on WhatsApp? How many of us verify a caller before sharing an OTP? How many of us click on suspicious links without a second thought? The answer is: too many. Fraudsters are not geniuses. They exploit our laziness, our trust, and our lack of basic digital hygiene. A bank will never ask for your OTP. A government official will never demand money over a phone call. A relative will not message you from an unknown number asking for an urgent transfer. These are basic facts, yet people keep falling for them. The Cyber Crime Department has done its part. It has issued an advisory. It has reminded citizens to avoid unknown links, refrain from sharing OTPs, and enable two-step verification on messaging apps. It has urged early reporting through the helpline number 1930 and the National Cyber Crime Portal. But advisories alone will not stop fraud. What will stop fraud is a change in mindset. Every family must have a conversation about digital safety. Every school must teach students how to recognise phishing attempts. Every bank must warn customers repeatedly about OTP fraud. Every media outlet must run awareness campaigns. This is not a one-time effort. It is a continuous battle. The government must also do more. Telecom companies must be held accountable for spoofed calls. Banks must make fraud reporting easier and faster. The cyber helpline must be adequately staffed to handle complaints promptly. And the legal system must ensure that caught fraudsters receive punishment that serves as a real deterrent. The digital world is here to stay. We cannot escape it. But we can learn to navigate it safely.
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