Agriculture Department Seeks Cybercrime Probe into Unauthorised Rythu Bharosa SMS Messages Sent to 2.73 Lakh Farmers
The Telangana Agriculture Department has approached the State Director General of Police (DGP), Cyber Crime Wing, seeking an investigation into unauthorised SMS messages sent to more than 2.73 lakh farmers in the name of the Rythu Bharosa Scheme.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Agriculture Department has approached the State Director General of Police (DGP), Cyber Crime Wing, seeking an investigation into unauthorised SMS messages sent to more than 2.73 lakh farmers in the name of the Rythu Bharosa Scheme.
The department suspects possible misuse of its identity or unauthorised access to SMS communication channels.
In a letter dated November 4, Agriculture Department Director B. Gopi informed the Cyber Crime Wing that a total of 2,73,128 farmers had received messages that were neither generated nor authorised by the department. However, the letter did not specify the contents of the messages.
The department clarified that it regularly communicates with farmers through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) SMS Service Portal and had not initiated the messages in question.
Expressing concern over the incident, the department stated that there could have been unauthorised access, misuse of its name or manipulation of SMS gateways. It requested cybercrime officials to trace the origin of the messages, identify the individuals, agencies or entities responsible and examine whether the C-DAC portal or other SMS gateways had been misused.
Follow for more details: munsifdaily.com
The department also sought examination of technical evidence, including sender IDs, transmission logs, SMS gateway details and associated IP addresses. It urged the police to initiate appropriate legal action against those responsible.
The incident raises serious concerns about digital communication security. In the past, misleading messages and online fraud attempts targeting beneficiaries of government welfare schemes have created confusion and financial risks. With lakhs of farmers depending on official updates regarding financial assistance, the authenticity of such communications is crucial.
A thorough investigation, stronger cybersecurity measures and a reliable mechanism for verifying official messages are essential to protect farmers and maintain public confidence in the Rythu Bharosa Scheme.
