Latest news with #OTP
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Karnataka: Benefits denied at Anganwadis due to technical malfunctions in new facial recognition system
The FRS app also mandates OTP from the beneficiaries to register them on the app. An anganwadi worker from Udupi, Shobha, said, due to recent financial scams a lot of people are scared to share any OTPs sent to them.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Anganwadi workers oppose facial recognition tech in ICDS programmes
Anganwadi workers have opposed the Union government's move to use facial recognition technology (FRT) for the implementation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programmes in Karnataka. At a public consultation meeting organised by the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers Union and Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Karnataka, on Tuesday, they alleged that the FRT would 'destroy the privacy, and personal and constitutional rights of the beneficiaries'. They claimed that due to the FRT, around two lakh beneficiaries in the State were likely to be excluded from the ICDS programmes. Anganwadi workers gathered at the event explained the problems in uploading data as well as fears of data breach. Rajavati Patil, an anganwadi worker from Aland, said that while they are expected to provide photographic evidence of beneficiaries, due to glitches in the software and internet problem, often they are shown as 'invalid', which bars them from accessing benefits. Sushila, another anganwadi worker from Udupi district, said that before distributing foodgrains, beneficiaries are asked for Aadhaar number and OTP along with their FRT photo. But people refuse to provide the OTP for fear of misuse of money in their bank account. Dipa Sinha, economist, said that while the Union government had been saying that the FRT would help prevent leakages and make the work of anganwadi workers easier, it had not served either purpose. She pointed out that the Union government was cutting funding for ICDS every year. Varalakshmi, president of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers Union, said the Minister of Women and Child Development of Karnataka and a team of officials have met the Union Minister for Women and Child Development five times and expressed their opposition to the FRT, but to no avail. Usha, Joint Director of Women and Child Development Department, said that the FRT was adopted to streamline the ICDS programmes and deliver the scheme directly to the beneficiaries, and 88% coverage had been achieved in the State. 'The government has not excluded any beneficiaries whose photos are not synced from the FRT. The department will provide technical training to anganwadi workers and also take steps to improve the FRT,' she added.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
Bank employee sentenced to five years for fraud and cybercrime
FNB employee sentenced to five years in jail for fraud and cybercrime A 35-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years in jail for her role in a meticulously orchestrated fraud scheme involving the unlawful access and manipulation of an elderly customer's banking profile and stealing more than R200 000. Lusanda Gloria Qose appeared in the Gqeberha Regional Court on Monday where the sentence was handed down. Abusing access credentials As a former sales and service consultant at First National Bank (FNB), Pier 14 branch in Gqeberha, Qose was convicted of fraud, cyber fraud, and the unlawful use of access credentials following her abuse of internal banking systems between 22 January and 24 April 2024. Her victim was 68-year-old Mlungwana Maranti, who held an Encore account linked to a Money Maximiser account and a registered cellphone number used for authorising transactions via FNB's InContact system. Fraud National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Qose unlawfully changed Maranti's cellphone number on the bank's system using her employee credentials, diverting all One-Time-Pin (OTP) authorisations to herself without his knowledge or consent. 'She further created a second bank card linked to the complainant's accounts, which she used to transfer funds from the Money Maximiser account to the Encore account and conduct multiple ATM withdrawals over three months. 'These fraudulent transactions resulted in a total loss of R245 000. The bank ultimately refunded the complainant and absorbed the financial loss,' Tiyali said. ALSO READ: Man sentenced to eight years in jail for cybercrime Security protocols Tiyali said Qose used her employee number to access FNB's core operating system, which contains confidential customer and transactional information. He said she bypassed internal security protocols such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and online fingerprint verification (OFV) and manipulated digital records to create the false impression that Maranti had authorised the transactions. 'The court found that Qose's actions were premeditated and sophisticated, involving multiple system breaches over an extended period. She pleaded guilty to all charges, citing financial distress as her motive. 'During sentencing proceedings, she and her aunt testified in mitigation, stating that she is a single mother of two minor children, aged 13 and 17. She has since repaid R87 000 through a deduction from her pension fund and expressed remorse for her actions,' Tiyali said. ALSO READ: Cybercrime: A global risk surpassing load shedding in potential impact Victim's emotional toll In a victim impact statement, Maranti detailed the emotional toll the crime took on him, detailing the trauma of watching his retirement savings vanish and revealing that he had contemplated suicide. The court heard that Qose was fully aware that the funds she stole were earmarked to grow the complainant's retirement nest egg. Tiyali said Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) prosecutor Edmyrach Matabata argued that, despite Qose being a first-time offender, her gross abuse of trust and exploitation of a vulnerable senior citizen warranted a custodial sentence. 'The court concurred, emphasising that although the accused demonstrated remorse and potential for rehabilitation, the offence not only harmed the victim but also eroded public trust in the financial system.' NOW READ: South Africa remains a global hotspot for data breaches
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Madras High Court restrains DMK from OTP verification for its ‘Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' campaign
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, on Monday (July 21, 2025), by an interim order restrained the ruling DMK from sending OTP verification messages to mobile phones of people during its ongoing 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' membership drive. A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete said interim injunction was being granted to the limited extent (of OTP messages) till the issue of right to privacy and data protection were examined in detail, since fundamental rights of the people are at stake. The court noted during the door-to-door membership drive, personal information, including mobile phone numbers, were obtained and OTP verification messages were sent to the phone numbers. There is a concern of data breach. 'Data protection of the individuals is an essential element of Article 21 of the constitution. In the absence of accountability and transparency in the data collected from individuals across the State it is an issue which needs elaborate analysis,' the judges said. The data could potentially be used by third party companies, who are managing the data for political parties and serious concerns on privacy are at the forefront. The infrastructure available for collection and protection of individual data in the membership drive are not made clear. Data protection and voter data privacy are the essential facets of Article 21 of the Constitution and falls within the ambit of right to privacy, the court observed. The judges felt information about personal political affiliation can be used to disenfranchise voters through voter surveillance. 'Digital membership drives conducted by political parties in recent times are a new area of study whereby there is a clear departure from conventional modes of inducting party members,' it pointed out. A clarity is required as to the means and infrastructure adopted by the political parties to collect, process and store data from the public. How the data is stored and processed and the implications on the right to privacy of the voter including the right to privacy of the political affiliation ought to be examined. Noting valid and free consent is an essential part of such membership programmes, the court said no force or coercion should be employed and directed the DMK to provide details on the data privacy policy employed in the membership campaign and ensure the security of the data collected and whether 'informed consent' was obtained from the individuals. 'It is also to be seen if other smaller or economically challenged political parties will be put in a disadvantageous position and will it disturb the level playing field in the election thereby impacting Article 14 of the Constitution,' the court observed while hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by S. Rajkumar of Sivaganga district. The court ordered notice to the Centre and the State government and DMK and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks. In her separate order to the one authored by Justice Subramaniam, Justice Maria Clete observed she agreed to grant interim order in light of the serious concern relating to personal data protection and digital privacy. However, she made it clear such relief was extended with circumspection, particularly in the absence of a counter affidavit and without full knowledge of the programme's operational framework. Justice Clete associated herself with the operative interim direction. However, she expressed 'respectful reservation' with regard to that paragraph of the order on smaller or economically challenged political parties as it contained certain broader observations which in her view were not immediately germane to the legal and factual matrix present before the court. The judge directed the matter may be listed for further hearing on the filing of the counter affidavit and production of relevant materials by the respondents.
NDTV
7 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"False, Misleading": DMK Denies Collecting Aadhaar For Membership Drive
Chennai: A day after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court restrained the ruling DMK from collecting Aadhaar details and OTPs from the public during its membership drive, the party has strongly denied the allegations in court, calling them "false and misleading." Appearing before the bench on Tuesday, the DMK submitted that it does not collect Aadhaar numbers or any other personal documents for its membership campaign. The party clarified that the OTP system is used solely to record voluntary consent from individuals seeking to enrol, and not for any Aadhaar-based authentication. The submission comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an AIADMK advocate, who alleged that the DMK's ambitious membership drive - aimed at enrolling at least 30% of the state's voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections - was in violation of the Aadhaar Act and individual privacy rights. The petitioner had accused the DMK of coercing citizens, especially women, into sharing Aadhaar numbers, ration cards, voter IDs, and bank passbook details. It was also claimed that mobile numbers were being collected, followed by an OTP-based verification allegedly linked to Aadhaar, creating a politically motivated voter database. However, the DMK, in its counter, told the court, "No Aadhaar-based OTPs are being sought." "Members are being enrolled purely on the basis of the Electoral Roll released by the Election Commission. No documents like Aadhaar, ration card, or passbook are being collected. The PIL is based on misinformation spread by AIADMK," it said. Though the court did not stop the party's enrolment drive, DMK's counsel informed that the enrolment drive has been paused in light of the court's interim order and urged the bench to treat the case as an urgent matter, allowing the party to clarify its position in fairness. The court has now directed the DMK to file a formal impleading petition, giving it an opportunity to be heard officially in the matter. Yesterday, one of the judges also noted that during Tuesday's proceedings, natural justice required the respondents (including DMK) to be given a chance to respond before any adverse findings are recorded. The high court had on Monday restrained the DMK from collecting Aadhaar and OTP details based on the PIL's claims. The order had also tagged the Election Commission and UIDAI for their response, given the implications for voter data protection and political data usage. The case is expected to be taken up later this week, with the court likely to hear detailed arguments from all sides. The outcome could set a precedent on the boundaries of political data collection and the use of digital verification in party enrolment campaigns.
