Even as the Centre is rushing the nation into a cashless society, clickjacking and phishing in the online realm are a concern for many.
Realising these digital traps, consumer welfare organisations are gearing up to fight online fraudsters.
The organisations say few people are aware of the ways to take up their grievances. The conventional practice of approaching consumer courts is changing drastically with the change in nature of complaints and lack of clues to fix responsibility for the fraud.
“Our intervention will begin with a series of digital literacy programmes for the consumers, mostly the elderly, in the State.
“These cluster programmes will give them an idea of online trickeries and the ways to secure digital transactions,” says T.K.A. Azeez, general secretary of the Kerala Upbhokthru Suraksha Samithi.
He says the samithi’s intervention is aimed at equipping consumers to take up digital frauds with the authorities.
M. Sasidharan Nair, president, said a neutral reaction suffering the loss amid bewilderment would in no way protect the interests of the consumers.
Organisations such as the Consumer International (CI) has come out with a theme , ‘consumer rights in the digital age’, for World Consumer Rights Day, urging all affiliated movements to take up an educational role in the field.
The Consumer Association of Kerala, which has membership in the CI, is drawing up fresh programmes with more focus.
O.B. Rajesh, general secretary of the Consumer Protection Committee, says that the majority of complaints is related to banking frauds, including withdrawal of money from accounts through unknown means.
Stress on awareness
“We are dealing with such complaints through a panel of advocates, but the main concern is the lack of knowledge on safe transactions,” he says.
Leaders of the Kerala Samsthana Upabhokthru Samrakshana Vedi said they would pass a resolution on the topic during the silver jubilee this month, which would chalk out field-level plans for digital literacy.
Valsan Nellikkode, president, said the executive committee was in the process of discussing the priorities and an action plan suitable for each district.
