JMI organises a Cyber Safety and Awareness programme on Cyber Fraud, Digital Harassment and Deepfakes in the AI Era

The Cyber Club, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), under the aegis of the Office of the Dean, Students’ Welfare, organised a cyber safety and awareness programme titled “Beyond the Screen: Cyber Fraud, Digital Harassment and Deepfakes in the AI Era” on October 1, 2026 to address existing and emerging concerns of the cyber era.

Sh. Vijay Kumar, IPS, Jt. Commissioner of Police, Southern Range, Delhi, was the Chief Guest at the occasion, and the keynote address was delivered by Mr. Manoj Kumar, ACP, Delhi Police, who also serves as an external member of the Cyber Club, JMI. The programme was also graced by the presence of distinguished Guests of Honour, Ms. Aishwarya Sharma, IPS, DCP Licensing, Delhi, and Ms. Aishwarya Singh, IPS, Addl. DCP, South Dist., Delhi. Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Registrar, JMI, acted as the Patron of the event. The proceedings were presided over by the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Mazhar Asif.

In her welcome address, Prof. Neelofer Afzal, Dean Students’ Welfare and Advisor of the Cyber Club, Jamia Millia Islamia hailed knowledge as the greatest source of empowerment but also drew the attention of the audience to the darkness of deception, which could be countered through responsible use of technology and AI. Her three-step rule while interacting with the cyber world—“pause before you click”, “verify before you believe”, and “speak up if something goes wrong”—set the tone for the event.

Ms. Aishwarya Sharma discussed three important ways in which the digital trust of users is exploited by fraudsters, namely cyber fraud, digital harassment, and deepfakes. She cautioned the audience to be careful about leaving digital footprints, as once created, they are difficult to remove.

Ms. Aishwarya Singh elaborated on some important aspects that need to be taken care of in order to remain cyber-safe. She emphasised the importance of guarding against being overwhelmed by feelings of fear and anxiety. She further elaborated on some of the common ways used by scammers to dupe innocent civilians, such as digital arrest, financial cyber fraud, deepfakes, password hacking, cyberbullying, and identity theft.

Mr. Manoj Kumar dwelled on certain common AI-enabled threats brought about by increasing digital penetration. In particular, he talked about digital slavery as a cause for urgent concern. He offered some useful and practical preventive measures to stay safe, such as keeping mobile software updated, preserving evidence in case of fraud, and calling 1930 for immediate reporting and intervention. He warned the attendees to remain alert and aware and to educate themselves, as claiming innocence cannot grant immunity from the law. He informed the attendees about important initiatives for promoting cyber well-being, such as Sanchar Saathi, M-Kavach 2, and Digi Kavach. He explained in detail the dangerous repercussions of visiting dubious websites and downloading malware, such as APK files.

Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi used some personal anecdotes to make important points related to safe online behaviour and remaining vigilant against potential cyber attacks. He advised the gathering to rely on their own wisdom and intelligence to remain safe and prevent the propagation of cybercrime, not only for their own sake but also for the benefit of the whole community.

Mr. Vijay Kumar, in a very engaging talk based on his first-hand experience, informed the audience that fraudsters had different strategies targeting different groups. He cautioned that people, irrespective of their socio-economic status, were equally vulnerable to cybercrime and shared that incidents of cybercrime were proliferating at a very fast pace. His words of advice, meant specifically for the young audience, included some important measures that would be helpful in confronting these challenges—avoiding the sharing of OTPs and personal details online, refraining from answering unknown video calls, being wary of lucrative job offers, and strictly avoiding the storage or sharing of pornographic material. He apprised the gathering of the existence of ‘mule accounts’, which are used to trap people.

Prof. Mazhar Asif, in his presidential address, opined that individuals who engage in financial crimes within the cyber realm exploit the greed of their victims and that it is important to remain guarded and educated. He stressed that the presence of high-ranking officials among the university community was inspirational in itself and sent a strong message of awareness and education. He further exhorted the students to be careful in their use of technologies such as mobile phones and not let these technologies control them.

The programme, was conducted by Dr. Umaima, convener of the Cyber Club, JMI. While explaining the vision of the Cyber Club, she emphasized that the club is committed to create awareness among stakeholders through various initiatives such as quizzes, interactive sessions, workshops, and seminars. She further shared that the celebration of ‘Cyber Jagrookta Diwas’ is also being planned by the club.

Dr. Asmat Jahan, Deputy DSW, expressed gratitude to all those present through the vote of thanks. The event concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.