Meta unveiled its safety campaign, ‘Scams se Bacho,’ in collaboration with Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana to educate the public on protecting themselves from online scams and promoting safer digital practices.
The initiative is in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). This campaign highlights Meta's commitment to online safety while supporting the government's efforts to address the increasing prevalence of scams and cyber fraud in India.
The campaign highlights some of the most prevalent scams people encounter in their daily lives, urging them to remain vigilant and exercise caution before taking any action. The film also emphasises the array of safety features available on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp that enable users to take charge of their online safety.
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India commented, “We recognise the severity of the rising incidents of online scams and believe combatting this issue requires concrete and cooperative measures across the ecosystem. Meta continues to invest in technology and resources to stay ahead of scammers and our safety campaign ‘Scams se Bacho’ is an extension of our efforts to educate users about the safety tools and features they have at their fingertips to protect themselves from scams online. We hope this campaign resonates with our users and equips them with the information they need to secure themselves along with reinforcing consumer habits that can help them stay safe and protect their friends and family.”
In the film, Khurrana portrays a vigilant wedding guest who intervenes just in time to prevent others from falling victim to scams, using his quick thinking and comedic talent. The campaign showcases Meta’s safety features including two-factor authentication, block and report, and WhatsApp’s group privacy settings. It serves as a reminder of how Meta’s built-in product features and safety tools provide users with essential safeguards to protect against online scams, fraud and account compromise threats.
Commenting on the campaign, Ayushmann Khurrana said, “In today's digital landscape, with the rampant increase of online scams and frauds that sometimes can seem very convincing - it's crucial that we stay vigilant and educate ourselves about how to stay safe. I’m thrilled to be a part of Meta’s safety initiative that aims to drive awareness around how people can safeguard themselves from potential cyber scams. It's an important reminder to think twice before you act and use Meta’s safety tools at your disposal, empowering you to take control of your online safety.”
The campaign highlights various scams, including OTP scams that jeopardise personal accounts and sensitive information, impersonation scams that create a false sense of urgency to extract money, trading and investment scams promising unrealistic returns and fraudulent loan apps and offers. It demonstrates how Meta’s straightforward yet powerful safety features can protect individuals from online scams and fraud.
Meta employs over 40,000 individuals globally dedicated to safety and security, having invested more than $20 billion in teams and technology since 2016. This includes 15,000 content reviewers who evaluate material across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in over 70 languages including 20 Indian languages. In the last three years, Meta has introduced more than 50 safety tools and features to enhance online security, continually seeking new ways to educate consumers about online safety and strengthen its systems against scam content.
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