Latest news with #WhatApp
The Hindu
17 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
WhatsApp number announced for food adulteration complaints in Tiruvarur
The Tiruvarur District Food Safety and Medicines Department has urged consumers to report complaints of food adulteration via a dedicated WhatsApp number. Participating in the World Food Safety Day conference organised by the Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection and Environment Research Centre in association with the Food Safety and Medicines Department and Consumer Confederation of India at a private Paramedical College in Tiruvarur on June 7, Food Safety Officer S. Anbazhagan said that the objective of the Food Safety Day was to create awareness about how to prevent spreading of disease through food habits. Pointing out that contaminated water, expired food products pose a threat to the health of children and senior citizen, the DFSO said complaints of adulteration and other health issues in food chain could be forwarded to the department through WhatApp number 9444042322, according to an official release.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
CBI arrests passport assistant, agent for corruption
MUMBAI: The Mumbai unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a passport assistant and a private agent after it found that the duo was allegedly involved in the issuance of seven passports to unknown applicants based on forged documents. Five of them went abroad using the travel documents, raising grave security concerns. All seven are currently absconding, according to CBI sources. Passport assistant Akshay Meena and agent Bhavesh Shah were arrested on Tuesday evening and produced in a special court in Mumbai on Wednesday. The court remanded them to CBI custody till June 2, saying it was 'a matter of serious concern' that five of the applicants had travelled abroad. On June 26-27 last year, the CBI had conducted a joint surprise check along with officers from the Passport Seva Programme at 33 locations in Mumbai and Nashik, including the Passport Seva Kendra under the Regional Passport Office, Lower Parel. In the same month, the CBI registered 12 corruption cases against several passport assistants and agents, based on reports that the officials would conspire with agents to issue passports based on incomplete or falsified documents. During the joint surprise checks, the CBI found that Meena was in regular contact with various private agents to issue passports. The CBI probe revealed that the accused official had allegedly received around ₹1.9 lakh from several agents, including Shah, for helping them in passport-related work during 2023-24. It was also alleged that the accused official shared a part of this with the others. The CBI's analysis of certain WhatApp chats between the arrested duo during June 18-24, 2024, allegedly showed them to be coordinating and facilitating the passport issuance work of the seven persons and discussing issues related to payment for the work. The CBI investigation revealed that all seven had submitted forged Aadhar and PAN cards, bank account statements and birth certificates in the passport office. The CBI said that the arrested official did not conduct due verification of the seven applicants' documents but endorsed them, leading to the issuance of their passports. The agency also said that none of the seven were currently traceable, their mobile numbers were not in service and the police verification reports for four of them were adverse. The CBI told the court that Meena and Shah were interrogated at length about the alleged irregularities but gave evasive answers.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- The Sun
Kelantan Deputy MB warns public after WhatsApp hack
PETALING JAYA: Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan has asked the public to be aware of social media scams after his WhatsApp account was recently hacked by an unknown party. In a Facebook post yesterday, he urged the public to ignore any messages they receive from his WhatsApp number that has his photo in the profile because they were not sent by him. He shared a screenshot of a WhatApp conversation in which the holder of his account requests a loan of roughly RM5,000, with the repayment by 10am the following day. Based on the screenshot, the name that appears in the person's shared bank details is different and does not correspond to Mohamed Fadzli's bank account. Datuk Wan Roslan Wan Hamat, a fellow Perikatan Nasional assemblyman, mentioned in the comment section that he received a similar message from Mohamed Fadzli's WhatsApp account. ALSO READ: Kelantan MB's WhatsApp account hacked This is not the first case of WhatsApp hacking happening to a political figure, as the state's Menteri Besar Nassuruddin Daud encountered a similar situation last February.
New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
How brands are missing out on messaging revenue
In an economy where attention spans are short and expectations are high, the most valuable customer touchpoint isn't a billboard or a banner ad - it is the conversation happening right now. Consumers today want instant answers, personalised recommendations, and seamless transactions, all from the comfort of their favourite messaging app. But despite the ubiquity of chat platforms and growing digital fluency across markets, many brands still treat messaging as a service channel rather than a growth engine. The result? Missed opportunities, and in some cases, millions left on the table. From convenience to conversion Messaging has quietly emerged as one of the most powerful tools for modern customer engagement. From WhatsApp and Viber to in-app chat, brands have the ability to support, convert, and retain customers in real time. But having access is not the same as using it effectively. A growing body of research shows messaging drives stronger conversion rates than traditional static channels like email or static ads. Reports show that personalisation engagement can lift revenues by 10-15 per cent, and companies that excel in personalisation have generated 40 per cent more revenue from those activities than average players. Yet too often, businesses limit messaging to post-sale support - ignoring its potential to influence discovery, purchase and loyalty. Consumers, particularly in mobile-first regions, want more. They want to discover products, ask questions, make payments, and follow up -all in a single, fluid conversation. If a brand can't offer that, they will find one that can. The market is heating up fast The business messaging market is projected to exceed US$78 billion by 2027. Meanwhile, it is reported that by this year, 80 per cent of customer service interactions will be handled via messaging channels, many of which will be powered by AI. Asia-Pacific in particular, is driving much of this growth. The region's appetite for super apps, conversational commerce, and channel-first engagement is shaping the next chapter in customer communication. For brands operating here, it is no longer a matter of if they should adopt messaging strategies but how well they can scale them. A window into messaging momentum According to Infobip's Messaging Trends Report 2025, the company recorded 530 billion interactions across the world and more than 30 messaging channels in 2024 alone. That is not just volume -it is velocity. The report revealed that APAC witnessed a 100 per cent surge in WhatApp usage and a 70 per cent increase in mobile app interactions, signalling a sharp pivot toward real-time, app-based conversations. Malaysia in particular is catching up fast. The country recorded a 17 per cent increase in WhatsApp messaging, alongside 178 per cen growth in video and voice-based customer interactions—a reflection of evolving consumer preferences for richer, more expressive ways to communicate. What's more telling is how brands are designing these conversations. Infobip observed a 30 per cent rise in brands adopting conversational marketing while delivering timely, relevant messages with measurable outcomes. These are not basic chatbots - they are smart engagement flows that guide users from inquiry to purchase, and from support to upsell, all within the same messaging thread. Messaging as revenue infrastructure When deployed strategically, messaging does more than reduce friction - it generates revenue. Think retail brands running flash sales through personalised WhatsApp notifications. Or telcos offering prepaid top-ups directly via chat. Or banks enabling secure account setup via verified, app-based messaging. These are not isolated use cases; they are becoming standard practice, especially in regions like Southeast Asia, where consumers are mobile-first and channel-loyal. This evolution demands that businesses reframe messaging not as a cost centre, but as part of their core revenue infrastructure. A mindset shift is needed What separates the leaders from the rest is not just channel adoption, but orchestration. Brands that succeed in conversational commerce do four things well: they design journeys that begin and end in chat, automate with intelligence - not just efficiency, meet customers in their preferred channels, and track message outcomes from click to conversion. Brands are increasingly leveraging integrated platforms like Infobip to execute context-aware, omnichannel communication. Infobip platform data helps brands manage the complexity of customer engagement across more than 30 messaging channels. This enables businesses to move beyond fragmented touchpoints and adopt real-time orchestration for seamless customer journeys. But Infobip's role isn't just as an enabler - it is as a signal of where the industry is headed. Its insights, gathered from billions of interactions across telco, retail, and financial services, reveal the growing importance of personalised, context-aware communication. The billion-dollar chat is already happening. It is in the product recommendations sent over WhatsApp. In the payment links dropped into DMs. In the support tickets resolved through in-app chat before frustration ever takes root. Brands that embrace messaging as more than just communication will unlock richer, longer-lasting relationships, and a tangible edge in an increasingly competitive market. And those who don't? They may just find themselves left to "read".
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Time of India
Sector 45 resident loses Rs 3L while trying to sell her dinner set online
Chandigarh: Little did Mehar Kaur Thind know that trying to sell her dinner set online would turn into her worst nightmare. Excited about having found a "buyer", who was ready to shell out Rs 20,000 for the set, she reportedly scanned the QR code the "buyer" sent her via WhatApp and ended up losing a whopping Rs 2.80 lakh. The cyber police have booked unknown persons for allegedly scamming the Sector 45 resident. The cops are trying to trace the account to which the victim was fradulently made to transfer the said amount. In her complaint to UT Police's cybercrime cell, Mehar said she had put up pictures of her dinner set online for sale. Later, a person contacted her and agreed to buy the set for Rs 20,000. The accused sent her a QR code via WhatsApp, asking her to scan it. When she scanned the QR code, Rs 80,000 was withdrawn from her bank account. The accused then pressured her to access her relative Rupinder Kaur's bank account and, under the pretence of completing the transaction, swindled Rs 1.99 lakh more. Therefore, a total of Rs 2,79,900 was fraudulently withdrawn from both accounts. The accused then stopped taking her calls, she said. After realising that she was scammed, she lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police station and provided the details of the transactions fraudulently made by the accused from their accounts.
