#FactCheck - Viral Clip Not Harish Rana’s Farewell, Linked to Surat Woman’s Organ Donation

Introduction

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Valentine’s Day celebrates the bond between people, their romantic love, and their deep relationships with others. The increasing use of digital platforms in modern relationships has created a situation where cybercriminals use this time of year to exploit human emotions for money-making schemes. The period around 14 February often sees a rise in online romance scams, phishing attacks, and fake shopping websites that specifically target people who are emotionally vulnerable and active online. People need to be aware of these scams because this awareness helps them protect their personal information and their financial resources.

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The Rise of Romance Scams

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Modern romance scams have evolved from their original form because criminals now execute their schemes through more advanced methods. Fraudsters create authentic-looking fake identities, which they use to deceive victims through dating applications, social media platforms and networking websites. The profiles use stolen images and fake job histories, together with convincing emotional stories, which help them establish trust with potential victims.

Scammers usually begin their deception after they have built an emotional connection with their targets. Once trust is established, they introduce a crisis or an opportunity that pressures the victim to act quickly. This is often presented as a problem that needs urgent help or a chance that should not be missed, such as:

• A sudden medical emergency that requires money for treatment
• Requests for travel expenses to finally come and meet in person
• Fake investment opportunities that promise quick or guaranteed returns
• Demands for customs, courier, or clearance fees to release a supposed package or gift

They make the victim give money to them and buy gift cards and handle personal banking details. The scam takes place for several weeks or months until the victim starts to show doubt about what is happening.  The psychological manipulation that occurs in romance scams causes severe harm to their victims. Victims experience two types of damage because criminals steal their money, and they suffer emotional pain, and their social standing gets damaged.

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Fake E-Commerce and “Valentine’s Deals”

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Valentine's Day marks the beginning of a shopping rush, which leads people to buy various gifts, including flowers, jewellery and customised products, as well as making reservations for events. Cybercriminals create fake websites to exploit this demand by providing fake discounts and temporary promotional offers. 

Common warning signs include:

• Newly registered domains that lack valid user reviews
• Websites that contain multiple spelling mistakes and display poor design
• Payment requests through methods that cannot be tracked
• Online platforms that lack secure payment processing systems

Consumers who make purchases on such sites face the risk of losing money while their card information is stolen for future fraudulent activities.

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Phishing in the Name of Love

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During the holiday season, phishing campaigns increase their focus on particular targets. Users may receive:

• Valentine's Day discount emails
• Messages that claim to show secret admirer intentions
• Links that lead to supposed romantic surprises
• Delivery notifications that inform about unreceived gifts

Malicious links result in credential theft, malware installation and unauthorised financial transactions. At first glance, these attacks show resemblance to authentic brands and logistics companies, which makes them hard to identify.

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Investment and Crypto Romance Fraud

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A rising type of romance scams now uses cryptocurrency and online trading platforms as their new approach. Scammers who establish trust with their victims will convince them to invest in digital assets that appear to generate high returns. The fake dashboards display excellent investment results to convince investors to commit more funds. The process stops when they block all withdrawal requests and stop all contact with the user. The combination of emotional manipulation with financial fraud shows how cybercrime develops according to technological advancements.

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Why Seasonal Scams Work

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Seasonal scams succeed because they match the predictable behaviour patterns that people exhibit during specific times of the year. During Valentine’s season:

• People experience their highest emotional vulnerability
• People shop more frequently through online platforms
• People use digital platforms at increased rates
• Users will decrease their level of scepticism while trying to establish connections with others

Cybercriminals use urgent situations together with emotional ties and social norms as their primary attack methods. The combination of psychological triggers and digital convenience creates fertile ground for deception.

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CyberPeace Recommendations for Staying Safe This Valentine’s Season

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The digital platforms provide people who search for connections with valuable opportunities to connect with others, yet users must remain careful about their online activities. People can protect themselves from online fraud by following these steps:

1. They should confirm identity details before they give away their private data.
2. They should not send money to people whom they met only through internet platforms.
3. They should verify website ownership and examine customer feedback before making online purchases.
4. They should activate multi-factor authentication for their social media accounts and financial accounts.
5. People should treat unexpected links with great care, especially those links that create a sense of urgency. 
6. The Cybercrime reporting portal www.cybercrime.gov.in with 24x7 helpline 1930 is an effective tool at the disposal of victims of cybercrimes to report their complaints.
7. In case of any cyber threat, issue or discrepancy, you can also seek assistance from the CyberPeace Helpline at +91 9570000066 or write to us at helpline@cyberpeace.net. Immediate reporting protects victims and helps to combat cybercrime.

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Conlusion

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Online safety during festive seasons requires shared responsibility among multiple parties. Digital resilience is strengthened through the combined efforts of platforms, financial institutions, regulators, and civil society organisations. The digital ecosystem becomes safer through three essential elements, which include awareness campaigns, stronger verification systems, and timely reporting mechanisms.

Valentine’s Day centres on the building of trust between people who want to connect with each other. To maintain trust in digital environments, users need to practice digital literacy skills, which should be shared by everyone. People who stay updated about cybersecurity threats can celebrate Valentine’s Day more safely, because their expressions of love remain protected from online scams.

References

• https://www.cloudsek.com/blog/valentines-day-cyber-attack-landscape-exploiting-love-through-digital-deception
• https://about.fb.com/news/2025/02/how-avoid-romance-scams-this-valentines-day/
• https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sanfrancisco/fbi-san-francisco-warns-romance-scams-increasing-across-the-bay-area-this-valentines-day
• https://abc11.com/post/romance-scams-surge-ahead-valentines-day/18581079/
• https://www.moneycontrol.com/technology/5-common-online-scams-you-should-avoid-this-valentine-s-day-article-13820108.html

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Introduction

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Cyber-attacks are another threat in this digital world, not exclusive to a single country, that could significantly disrupt global movements, commerce, and international relations all of which experienced first-hand when a cyber-attack occurred at Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, which threw their electronic check-in and baggage systems into a state of chaos. Not only were there chaos and delays at Heathrow, airports across Europe including Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin experienced delay and had to conduct manual check-ins for some flights further indicating just how interconnected the world of aviation is in today's world. Though Heathrow assured passengers that the "vast majority of flights" would operate, hundreds were delayed or postponed for hours as those passengers stood in a queue while nearly every European airport's flying schedule was also negatively impacted.

The Anatomy of the Attack

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The attack specifically targeted Muse software by Collins Aerospace, a software built to allow various airlines to share check-in desks and boarding gates. The disruption initially perceived to be technical issues soon turned into a logistical nightmare, with airlines relying on Muse having to engage in horror-movie-worthy manual steps hand-tagging luggage, verifying boarding passes over the phone, and manually boarding passengers. While British Airways managed to revert to a backup system, most other carriers across Heathrow and partner airports elsewhere in Europe had to resort to improvised manual solutions.

The trauma was largely borne by the passengers. Stories emerged about travelers stranded on the tarmac, old folks left barely able to walk without assistance, and even families missing important connections. It served to remind everyone that the aviation world, with its schedules interlocked tightly across borders, can see even a localized system failure snowball into a continental-level crisis.

Cybersecurity Meets Aviation Infrastructure

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In the last two decades, aviation has become one of the more digitally dependent industries in the world. From booking systems and baggage handling issues to navigation and air traffic control, digital systems are the invisible scaffold on which flight operations are supported. Though this digitalization has increased the scale of operations and enhanced efficiency, it must have also created many avenues for cyber threats. Cyber attackers increasingly realize that to target aviation is not just about money but about leverage. Just interfering with the check-in system of a major hub like Heathrow is more than just financial disruption; it causes panic and hits the headlines, making it much more attractive for criminal gangs and state-sponsored threat actors.

The Heathrow incident is like the worldwide IT crash in July 2024-thwarting activities of flights caused by a botched Crowdstrike update. Both prove the brittleness of digital dependencies in aviation, where one failure point triggering uncontrollable ripple effects spanning multiple countries. Unlike conventional cyber incidents contained within corporate networks, cyber-attacks in aviation spill on to the public sphere in real time, disturbing millions of lives.

Response and Coordination

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Heathrow Airport first added extra employees to assist with manual check-in and told passengers to check flight statuses before traveling. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) collaborated with Collins Aerospace, the Department for Transport, and law enforcement agencies to investigate the extent and source of the breach. Meanwhile, the European Commission published a statement that they are "closely following the development" of the cyber incident while assuring passengers that no evidence of a "widespread or serious" breach has been observed.

According to passengers, the reality was quite different. Massive passenger queues, bewildering announcements, and departure time confirmations cultivated an atmosphere of chaos. The wrenching dissonance between the reassurances from official channel and Kirby needs to be resolved about what really happens in passenger experiences. During such incidents, technical restoration and communication flow are strategies for retaining public trust in incidents.

Attribution and the Shadow of Ransomware

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As with many cyber-attacks, questions on its attribution arose quite promptly. Rumours of hackers allegedly working for the Kremlin escaped into the air quite possibly inside seconds of the realization, Cybersecurity experts justifiably advise against making conclusions hastily. Extortion ransomware gangs stand the last chance to hold the culprits, whereas state actors cannot be ruled out, especially considering Russian military activity under European airspace. Meanwhile, Collins Aerospace has refused to comment on the attack, its precise nature, or where it originated, emphasizing an inherent difficulty in cyberattribution.

What is clear is the way these attacks bestow criminal leverage and dollars. In previous ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure, cybercriminal gangs have extorted millions of dollars from their victims. In aviation terms, the stakes grow exponentially, not only in terms of money but national security and diplomatic relations as well as human safety.

Broader Implications for Aviation Cybersecurity

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This incident brings to consideration several core resilience issues within aviation systems. Traditionally, the airports and airlines had placed premium on physical security, but today, the equally important concept of digital resilience has come into being. Systems such as Muse, which bind multiple airlines into shared infrastructure, offer efficiency but, at the same time, also concentrate that risk. A cyber disruption in one place will cascade across dozens of carriers and multiple airports, thereby amplifying the scale of that disruption. 

The case also brings forth redundancy and contingency planning as an urgent concern. While BA systems were able to stand on backups, most other airlines could not claim that advantage. It is about time that digital redundancies, be it in the form of parallel systems or isolated backups or even AI-driven incident response frameworks, are built into aviation as standard practice and soon. 

On the policy plane, this incident draws attention to the necessity for international collaboration. Aviation is therefore transnational, and cyber incidents standing on this domain cannot possibly be handled by national agencies only. Eurocontrol, the European Commission, and cross-border cybersecurity task forces must spearhead this initiative to ensure aviation-wide resilience.

Human Stories Amid a Digital Crisis

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Beyond technical jargon and policy response, the human stories had perhaps the greatest impact coming from Heathrow. Passengers spoke of hours spent queuing, heading to funerals, and being hungry and exhausted as they waited for their flights. For many, the cyber-attack was no mere headline; instead, it was ¬ a living reality of disruption.

These stories reflect the fact that cybersecurity is no hunger strike; it touches people's lives. In critical sectors such as aviation, one hour of disruption means missed connections for passengers, lost revenue for airlines, and inculcates immense emotional stress. Crisis management must therefore entail technical recovery and passenger care, communication, and support on the ground.

Conclusion

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The cybersecurity crisis of Heathrow and other European airports emphasizes the threat of cyber disruption on the modern legitimacy of aviation. The use of increased connectivity for airport processes means that any cyber disruption present, no matter how small, can affect scheduling issues regionally or on other continents, even threatening lives. The occurrences confirm a few things: a resilient solution should provide redundancy not efficiency; international networking and collaboration is paramount; and communicating with the traveling public is just as important (if not more) as the technical recovery process. 

As governments, airlines, and technology providers analyse the disruption, the question is longer if aviation can withstand cyber threats, but to what extent it will be prepared to defend itself against those attacks. The Heathrow crisis is a reminder that the stake of cybersecurity is not just about a data breach or outright stealing of money but also about stealing the very systems that keep global mobility in motion. Now, the aviation industry is tested to make this disruption an opportunity to fortify the digital defences and start preparing for the next inevitable production.

References

• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3drpgv33pxo
• https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/21/delays-continue-at-heathrow-brussels-and-berlin-airports-after-alleged-cyber-attack
• https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/eu-agency-says-third-party-ransomware-behind-airport-disruptions-2025-09-22/

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Introduction

WhatsApp has become the new platform for scams, and the number of cases of WhatsApp scams is increasing daily. Just like that, a new WhatsApp scam has been started, and many WhatsApp users in India have reported receiving missed calls from unknown international numbers. Worse, one does not even have to answer the call to be scammed. A missed call is sufficient to be scammed.

Millions of populations switch from normal SMS to WhatsApp, usually, people used to get fake messages and marketing messages, but the trend of scamming has been evolving now.  Most people get calls from different countries, and they are concerned about how these scammers got the numbers. WhatsApp works through VoIP networks, so no extra charges from any country exist. And about 500 million WhatsApp users are getting these scam calls, the calls are mainly on job-scams of promising part-time employment and opportunities. These types of job scam calls have been started reporting in 2023.

People reporting missed calls from countries like Ethiopia (+251), Malaysia (+60), Indonesia (+62), Vietnam (+84), etc.

The agenda of these calls are still unclear. Still, in some cases, the scammers ask for confidential information from WhatsApp users, like bank details, so the users must not reveal their personal information. Also, it is important to note that if you get any calls from a particular country, it necessarily does not mean it is from that country. Various agencies sell international numbers for WhatsApp calls.

Why has WhatsApp become a hub scam?

The generation has evolved and dumped the old SMS into WhatsApp. From school to college and offices, people use WhatsApp for their official work, as it is very easy and user-friendly, so people avoid safety measures. Generally, users need to understand the consequences of technology and use it with safeguards and awareness. Many people lose money and become victims of scams on WhatsApp as they share their confidential information. And the worse is that one does not even have to answer the call to be scammed. A missed call is sufficient to be scammed.

Before these international calls scam, the user received a call from the scam that they were from KBC, and the user won something. Then sought confidential information by the excuse that they would transfer the money to the user, and because of that user got scammed by the scammers. These scams have risen rapidly lately.

Safeguards users can use against these scam calls

WhatsApp responds to complaints regarding international calls to “block and report.”

If you have already received such calls, the best thing you can do is report and block them right away. As a result, the same number does not return to your phone, and numerous identical reports may persuade WhatsApp to delete the number entirely.

WhatsApp is also working on an update allowing users to block calls from unknown numbers on the service.

Users must modify their phone’s and app’s fundamental privacy settings to protect themselves from data breaches. The calls are directed toward app users who are actively using the app. However, by modifying the account’s appearance, a user can lessen the likelihood of being added to the scammers’ attack lists.

Limit Privacy

Begin by modifying WhatsApp’s ‘who can see’ settings. If your profile photo, last seen, and online status are visible to anybody, restrict them to persons on your contact list only. Change the About and Groups options as well.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Enabling two-factor authentication on WhatsApp adds more security to your data. In addition, the app also supports biometric protection in case of theft or loss.

Active Reporting

The users should report as soon as they see something odd or suspicious activity.

A typical question that users have is, ‘Where do the scammers acquire my phone number from?’

The answer is a little more complicated than we thought. Your data is retained on the company database from the time you sign up on a website or reveal your phone number at a store in order to take advantage of promotional offers and promotions. Due to a lack of technological infrastructure and legislation to protect personal data, a scammer can simply obtain your information.

According to Palo Alto research, India is the second most vulnerable country in the APAC region in terms of cyberattacks and data breaches. A data protection law is essential in the face of increasing calls and data breaches.

The Digital Personal Data Protection bill is set to be introduced in the parliament’s monsoon session. The bill has the potential to protect data, which will help to eliminate scams.

Conclusion

Several people had tweeted on tweeter about receiving fake calls on WhatsApp from international numbers more than once. WhatsApp encrypts calls and messages, making it difficult to track the person, and it appears that hackers are taking advantage of this to swindle customers. If you receive a WhatsApp call from any of the above ISD codes, we strongly advise you not to answer it and to block the number so the bad actors do not call you again. Report & block immediately that’s what WhatsApp has been responding to the complainants.