If asked to remit thousands, keep disbelief radar on, check: Arundhati Bhattacharya on digital scams

New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) Amid a surge in digital fraud cases, Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and CEO of Salesforce South Asia and a veteran banker has urged people to stay vigilant at all times, and emphasised the importance of adopting a cautious and skeptical approach when faced with unusual demands.

Her comments assume significance given the rising instances of digital frauds where unsuspecting users are lured online or on calls and deceived by scamsters leveraging advanced AI tools, malicious links and fake profiles.

Customers, at times, end up being the "weakest link" in a chain as they are on their own, unaware of sophisticated modus operandi, she said, and stressed for increased customers awareness around the issue of cybersecurity and digital frauds.

"You (customer) always have to have your `disbelief radar' on...there is no harm in cross-checking. You can always end a call and call back to determine where a call came from...We need to understand that being naive in this day and age is not going to help," Bhattacharya told PTI on sidelines of a Salesforce conference.

AI has made it easier for scamsters and criminals to unleash digital frauds, she noted.

"Now, they can replicate (a person's voice and face). But if they are asking you to suddenly remit so many thousands of rupees out, which is not what you would normally do, it is up to the person who is getting the call to have their antenna up...to say that...I must check before I take a big step," she said.

Emphasising the need for greater awareness, Bhattacharya added: "So, I think that's what we need to teach our customers and the last mile...that to an extent, you have to take security in your own hands." On whether India needs a separate legislation for AI, Bhattacharya advocated for robust self-regulation by companies, saying the focus at this early stage should be on fostering innovation.

"I think at this point of time, it is a little too early. Maybe a little later, if it is required. (For now) I would like to see far more self-regulation because that would show companies that they really understand how they are impacting the common man. And it is important because this is an area where a lot of innovation is going on," she said.

Bhattacharya believes that heavy-regulation in a space that is seeing a rapid innovation and evolution is unwarranted.

"So, being in step with most other countries, is the need of the hour. And at this point of time, I think the government has got it right," she said.

Asked how she sees the push for indigenous technology, she said, while it is a step in the right direction, open competition does encourage innovation.

"At any point of time, if something good is done by the country, people will celebrate, which is good. Does that mean you ban everything else and become a closed society? It doesn't, because I think the competition helps in innovation," she said.

A competitive market drives better offerings for customers, she observed.

"And I also think that the competition enables the best of what is out there, to come into the country," she added. PTI MBI MBI ANU ANU