Beware! You may be the next target for cyber extortionists

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: You may not realize it, but your pictures of an exotic holiday on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram may put you in the target range of cyber extortionists.

As per The Times of India report, the cases of digital ransom, which did not exist till 2014, is on the rise, wherein the extortionist seeks a ransom around Rs 1 to 5 crore.

The High Networth Individuals have been found to be most prone targets, wherein extortionists obtain private information from social media sites, dig out sensitive details and threaten to release the information online until hefty ransom is paid.

The experts warn against accepting a random friend request as that may lead to exposing your entire contact list as well as giving out your email id, Twitter contacts, and pictures on social media.

The report quotes a cyber security professional saying that an individual's birth date, mother's maiden name and email id are sometimes enough to access their bank accounts.