J&K Police says social media used to extract information on Army, issues advisory

Srinagar: An advisory has been issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, according to which a few people with fake accounts are operating on the social media and extracting important strategic information.

A person has even been detained by the police during investigation, although no information has been revealed about him.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) J&K Police Sunil Gupta, while talking to the media said they have received some information that the civilians are lured on the pretext of getting a job in the Army and important information is extracted out in the process.

"The social media sites and apps like Facebook and WhatsApp are being misused where fake ids and profiles are created. These fake ids create groups and pose themselves as faujis, and BSF and CRPF personnel," said Gupta.

"The youngsters added in the group think that they are added in an Army or the police group and in excitement, share information about strategic locations and important locations of the force unknowingly," he added.

He also stated that pictures of Army forces, police and girls are used to make a profile and thereby, has requested the youngsters, using social media to be aware of them.

"I would like the people who befriend strangers on the social media, especially those who lure them in the context of the recruitment in the army to be very careful," he added.

Gupta further revealed that there is no particular group involved in this and that they have just heard that profiles have been created by people from Pakistan.

He also added that the man detained by the police is under investigation and nothing more can be revealed by them, regarding this.

"We are investigating and have talked to a lot of people but have only detained one person," he said.

Gupta added that as they have just detained the man yesterday it will take time to check his whether his intention was criminal or not.

However, he revealed that there are people from India who are involved as well.

"They are asking about deployment, strategic plans, as people living in an area know about the deployment of a particular force, they are contacted by unknown people to extract this information," he said.

Meanwhile, the issued advisory says that "Facebook accounts of girls are created, who befriend innocent youth and ask for details like OTP, and/or create fake accounts of security personnel and offer help for job and in return try of extract vital information related to security forces."

An FIR has been filed for the same at Akhnoor in Jammu.

Earlier on June 6, mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir, which were later restored.

The Jammu and Kashmir police also recently gave a statement saying that social media is manipulating the youth of Kashmir.