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By:

Bhaskar Nath Biswal

13 May 2026 at 8:30:30 pm

E-Commerce’s Hidden Threat

The modern Indian marketplace no longer echoes exclusively with the chaotic bustle of traditional bazaars. Instead, it thrives within the silent, instantaneous clicks of smartphone screens. From monthly groceries to high-end electronics, digital retail has fundamentally altered how households across the country consume goods. This transition has undoubtedly unleashed unprecedented convenience, democratizing access to products for millions living outside metro cities. However, this...

E-Commerce’s Hidden Threat

The modern Indian marketplace no longer echoes exclusively with the chaotic bustle of traditional bazaars. Instead, it thrives within the silent, instantaneous clicks of smartphone screens. From monthly groceries to high-end electronics, digital retail has fundamentally altered how households across the country consume goods. This transition has undoubtedly unleashed unprecedented convenience, democratizing access to products for millions living outside metro cities. However, this hyper-connected landscape has also exposed a deeply troubling reality. As digital storefronts expand, so does the shadowy ecosystem of cybercriminals eager to exploit the trust and vulnerabilities of unsuspecting shoppers. The digital transaction, once celebrated as a triumph of modern engineering, is increasingly fraught with unseen hazards. Protecting consumers from e-shopping fraud has now become an urgent national imperative. Fraud Surge The sheer scale of India’s e-commerce revolution provides vital context for why online shopping has become such a high-stakes arena. Recent market estimates indicate that India’s e-commerce economy has surged well beyond $140 billion, driven by over 300 million active digital shoppers. Projections show this user base rapidly swelling toward 400 million, largely fuelled by deep internet penetration, affordable smart phones and seamless payment infrastructure like the Unified Payments Interface across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Yet, this remarkable surge in commercial volume has been mirrored by an equally dramatic escalation in cybercrime statistics. Official records from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal reveal that citizens have filed over 3.8 million cyber fraud complaints, representing staggering financial losses exceeding Rs. 36,000 crore, with a significant portion stemming from fraudulent online retail schemes. Perhaps most alarming is the historical recovery rate, where less than one percent of stolen funds is successfully returned to victims once transactions cross cyber borders. Despite the pervasive presence of online threats, digital consumers frequently fall into predictable traps that expose them to severe risk. A primary misstep is the failure to maintain basic password hygiene, with millions of shoppers reusing weak or identical passwords across multiple e-commerce platforms and email accounts, enabling attackers to execute swift cascading breaches. Furthermore, shoppers frequently bypass critical verification steps in pursuit of speed, such as failing to verify whether a website domain uses secure, encrypted connections before typing in card credentials. Another widespread oversight is performing financial transactions over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks in cafes or transport hubs, which allows bad actors to intercept sensitive data packets in transit. Many consumers also neglect regular software updates on their smartphones, leaving unpatched security vulnerabilities wide open to malware. Above all, emotional urgency remains the greatest weakness. Impulsive buyers frequently ignore glaring red flags, such as suspicious payment requests or unverified seller profiles. Decoding Scams Recognizing that awareness is the frontline of defence, key industry players and digital safety advocates have begun taking structured action. A prominent example is the consumer handbook, ‘Your Guide to Safe Online Shopping’, developed by Safer Internet India and commissioned by Amazon. The initiative aims to demystify complex cyber security concepts and provide consumers with actionable, real-world tools to navigate the digital marketplace safely. The handbook shines a bright light on the most prevalent fraudulent tactics currently plaguing buyers. To combat these threats, the safety guide emphasizes a multi-layered approach to consumer protection. It urges shoppers to verify web addresses meticulously, refrain from sharing one-time passwords and avoid conducting transactions off authorized brand platforms. Equally important, the guide bridges the gap between technical vigilance and legal empowerment by outlining explicit consumer rights under Indian laws and detailing formal grievance redressal mechanisms. A sustainable defence against online shopping fraud requires an integrated, multi-stakeholder strategy that aligns consumer awareness, corporate accountability and robust law enforcement. E-commerce platforms must continue investing aggressively in advanced artificial intelligence tools to detect cloned websites, eliminate fake merchant accounts and intercept suspicious payment flows before they reach consumers. Concurrently, regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies must strengthen real-time intervention frameworks, expanding initiatives like the 1930 cyber crime helpline and emergency account-freezing protocols to minimize financial damage when breaches happen. On the demand side, continuous public awareness campaigns, modelled after comprehensive handbooks, must reach deep into semi-urban and rural regions where first-time internet users are most susceptible to manipulation. Ultimately, building a safe digital shopping environment is about preserving trust. Only when digital literacy keeps pace with technological innovation can India truly reap the economic rewards of its e-commerce revolution without sacrificing the security of its citizens. (The writer is a former college Principal and Founder of Supporting Shoulders, an Odisha-based non-profit Trust. Views personal.)

Sharad Pawar ticks off Fadnavis on merger comment

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar scorned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his comments a couple of days ago that the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar “ had not informed the Bharatiya Janata Party” of the impending purported merger of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

 

Shooting a dart at Fadnavis in his characteristic style, Pawar  said that “the CM was not involved in the talks between the two parties” - which split in July 2023.

 

“I cannot understand what right he (CM) has to mention my name. Since he was nowhere involved in the reunification discussions, he has no right to make any comments on it,” Pawar told the media in Baramati today.

 

Fadnavis’ utterances were viewed as directly questioning the credibility of Pawar, 86, a former CM and Union Minister, and uncle to the late Ajit Pawar, that left the NCP (SP) seething with rage.

 

Some NCP (SP)-NCP leaders also privately questioned whether allies are required to consult the BJP before taking any actions concerning their independent parties, and whether it was reciprocated in equal measure.

 

Asked if the merger would still go ahead, Pawar deftly replied saying the immediate priority is to support each other before deciding to chart the path ahead, but admitted that “as far as political discussions on the reunion are concerned, there are no talks on”.

 

He reiterated that the merger talks were being conducted by the late Ajit Pawar along with NCP (SP) leader Jayant R. Patil – who also confirmed the same independently last weekend.

 

Pawar had made the explosive revelation that the Ajit Pawar-Patil duo had fixed the merger date as Feb. 12 – as endorsed by Patil – but everything was put on hold owing to Ajit Pawar’s sudden death in an air-crash on Jan. 28.

 

Fadnavis’ comments that riled the NCP (SP) supremo went thus: “Ajitdada was part of the (MahaYuti) government. The NCP is an independent party in the alliance. Could he (Ajit Pawar) take such a decision without informing us (BJP). He was stable in the regime. In fact, the day before (the air tragedy), we were together (post-Cabinet meeting) and even chatted for an hour”.

 

To a query, Pawar said “we are very happy that Sunetra Pawar has become the Deputy CM”. “It’s a matter of joy and satisfaction that she has got the opportunity to serve in this high post,” he said.

 

However, Pawar denied any knowledge of plans for memorial to be erected on the campus of Vidya Pratisthan he had founded in 1972, and Sunetra Pawar is one of the Trustees, along with NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule, other family members and prominent personalities.

 

Ajit Pawar's last sentiments

In a final call made by the late Ajit Pawar before the ill-fated plane crash on Jan. 28, to a NCP worker Shrijit Pawar from Katewadi, he reportedly spoke about “taking everyone from all religions and castes along” in his political journey.

 

Shrijit claimed that Ajit Pawar spoke with him just nine minutes before the crash outside Baramati airport and even played excerpts of that tele-con when the ill-fated aircraft was on the descent.

 

The short conversation, barely a minute, took place at 0837 am, but almost 20 minutes earlier, Ajit Pawar had sent a message to Shrijit suggesting a Mali community (OBC)  candidate should be fielded for the Zilla Parishad elections.

 

Later, they spoke. “Ajitdada and I hail from the same village. When he was in range, he returned the call, saying that the NCP should take all communities, castes and religions along,” said Shrijit on that brief telephonic chat.

 

“The Mali community has been given representation in the ZP polls from the Supe group” said Ajit Pawar, to which Shrijit affirmed: “Yes, Dada, take whatever decision you feel is right”.

 

Lauding his late leader, Shrijit said that the call recordings proved how Ajitdada was keen to take every community along without any discrimination in the elections.

 

 


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