HALF A DOZEN TEACHERS’ MOBILE PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HACKED

HALF A DOZEN TEACHERS’ MOBILE PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HACKED

27-APRIL-ENG 7

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR--------------------------The Buxar Education Department—which frequently finds itself in the headlines—is currently under siege by cybercriminals. The mobile phones, Gmail accounts, and social media profiles of headmasters, assistant teachers, and retired education personnel working across various blocks of the district are being systematically hacked. The hackers are utilizing the victims' WhatsApp accounts to send messages to contacts saved in their phones, demanding money by sending QR codes or payment scanners.

The Buxar Education Department—which frequently finds itself in the headlines—is currently under siege by cybercriminals. The mobile phones, Gmail accounts, and social media profiles of headmasters, assistant teachers, and retired education personnel working across various blocks of the district are being systematically hacked. The hackers are utilizing the victims' WhatsApp accounts to send messages to contacts saved in their phones, demanding money by sending QR codes or payment scanners. A shocking revelation is that in just the last four days, more than half a dozen teachers have fallen victim to this cyber gang. This has created an atmosphere of panic within the Education Department, while the teaching community is now appealing to their acquaintances to remain vigilant.

According to reports, on April 22, the mobile phone of Anurag Mishra—the Acting Headmaster of Dumraon Raj High School—was hacked. He lodged a complaint regarding this incident at the Buxar Cyber ​​Police Station; however, before the police investigation could make any headway, the criminals had already targeted several other teachers across the district. According to sources, prior to Anurag Mishra, Brajesh Rai—a teacher leader affiliated with the Buxar Secondary Teachers' Association and an MLC representative—had also fallen victim to hacking. Subsequently, on Friday, the criminals targeted Madhusudan Ojha, the Acting Headmaster of Middle School Ariyanv in the Dumraon block, and Deepak Kumar, a teacher at Barka Dhakaich High School in the Simri block. On Saturday, Azim Sir and teacher Shambhavi Kumari from Mungav High School; Seema Ojha, the Acting Headmistress of Simri High School; and Tej Narayan Pandey, a retired educator from the Maharani Usharani Girls' Plus Two School in Dumraon, also fell victim to a cyber trap.

The victim, Acting Headmaster Anurag Mishra, stated that he received a call on his mobile phone around 2:00 PM on the afternoon of April 22.

Identifying himself as an official from the Education Department, the caller said, "Some important documents for you have arrived, but the person delivering them is unable to locate your school. He is currently standing near Rajgarh; please speak to him on this number and provide the location." Having gained his trust, the caller instructed him to dial certain numbers. As soon as he dialed the numbers, he lost control of his mobile phone, and shortly thereafter, his WhatsApp and other accounts were hacked. Subsequently, a series of messages requesting money began to be sent to people in his contact list.

Hackers typically first take control of the victim's WhatsApp account and then send messages to individuals listed in their contact list. They solicit money by fabricating excuses—sometimes claiming illness, sometimes citing an emergency, or at other times pretending to be stranded. Many people, believing the requests to be genuine messages from an acquaintance, have already transferred funds.

Regarding this matter, Avinash Kashyap—the Officer-in-Charge of the Buxar Cyber ​​Police Station (who also serves as a DSP)—stated that the complaints being received are being investigated with the utmost seriousness. He emphasized that awareness is the most potent weapon for safeguarding oneself against cybercrime. He appealed to the public not to click on any unfamiliar links, not to dial any codes at the behest of unknown individuals, and to refrain from sharing OTPs or personal information.

Do not place immediate trust in calls from unknown numbers. Do not dial codes such as *#21#, *401#, or any other code without fully understanding its purpose.

Keep 'Two-Step Verification' enabled on your WhatsApp account. If you receive a message from an acquaintance requesting money, always call them directly to verify the request before taking any action. In the event of a hacking incident, immediately contact the cyber helpline at 1930 or the nearest cyber police station. The persistent targeting of teachers in Buxar indicates that cyber syndicates are now targeting even the educated and trusted segments of society. In such a scenario, vigilance serves as the greatest form of protection.