Senior Indian journalist Ajit Anjum has fallen victim to a cyber scam after receiving a help request from journalist Prabhakar Mani Tiwari’s WhatsApp account, which had been hacked. The message claimed his UPI was “blocked” and asked for money to be transferred via QR codes.
Believing the plea and hesitant to question it openly, Ajit Anjum instructed his cameraman to transfer funds to several different QR codes. Each time a new QR code was sent. In total, approximately INR 11,000 was lost before suspicion arose on the sixth request. When Ajit called Prabhakar Mani Tiwari on his regular number, he learned that Tiwari’s WhatsApp account had been hacked and that other people had also been asked for money.
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Cyberclub nodal officer Dr. Digvijay Singh Rathore of Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, warned that anyone can fall prey to cybercriminals. He noted that even alert and experienced journalists like Ajit Anjum can be targeted. Dr. Rathore explained that due to busyness and trust, people sometimes do not verify requests immediately, which fraudsters exploit.
He advised that if someone you know requests money via WhatsApp, Facebook, or any social platform, first confirm whether their account has been compromised. Before sending money, call the person directly; if you still have doubts, verify identity with a video call.
Cybersecurity experts say hackers increasingly hijack social media accounts to request money from acquaintances. In such cases, vigilance and verification are the strongest defenses.
