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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.)

Southern states gain allies

  • PTI
  • Mar 22, 2025
  • 3 min read

JAC tells Centre to freeze Parliamentary constituencies by 25 more years

Chennai: The DMK-led Joint Action Committee meeting to ensure "fair delimitation" on Saturday urged the Centre to extend the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies, based on the 1971 Census population, by another 25 years and decided that MPs would submit a joint representation to press for demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ongoing Parliamentary session.


A resolution adopted in the JAC meeting said that any delimitation exercise carried out by the union government to improve the "content and character" of democracy should be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all the states, state governments and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss and contribute.


"Given the fact that the legislative intent behind the 42nd, 84th and 87th Constitutional amendments was to protect / incentivise states which have implemented population control measures effectively and the goal of national population stabilisation has not yet been achieved, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on 1971 Census Population, should be extended by another 25 years," it said.


Population control is key

The states which have effectively implemented the population control programme and consequently whose population share has come down, should not be penalised and the Centre must enact necessary constitutional amendments for this purpose.


"The core committee consisting of Members of Parliament from the represented states will coordinate the parliamentary strategies to counter any attempts by the union government to undertake any delimitation exercise contrary to the principles mentioned above. The core committee of MPs shall submit a joint representation on the above lines to the Prime Minister of India during the ongoing Parliamentary session," the resolution said.


The political parties from different states represented in the meeting will initiate efforts to bring appropriate legislative assembly resolutions in their respective states on the issue and communicate the same to the union government.


"The JAC will also undertake necessary efforts to disseminate information on the history and context of past delimitation exercises and the consequences of the proposed delimitation among the citizens of their respective States, through a coordinated public opinion mobilization strategy."


The DMK, in the meanwhile, commenced its reach out exercise on delimitation by way of advertisements in the social media.


Are you genuinely concerned on delimitation: RSS

Bengaluru: RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar on Saturday asked those discussing the delimitation process have any political agenda or they were genuinely concerned about it.


"In my opinion, those who are taking part in the discussions on the delimitation should introspect whether it's their political agenda or they are genuinely thinking about the interest of their region," Kumar said, during a press briefing.


"Let them (Stalin and others) think about it and you (media) should ask them if the delimitation process has actually started," he added.


"Neither the census has started nor the discussion over the delimitation has been initiated (by the Centre). Even the Act has not been drafted yet," he pointed out.


Noting that delimitation is a constitutional process in India and elections are conducted under a democratic process, Kumar said delimitation happens for elections under a law.


He explained that the delimitation happened in 2002 after an Act was promulgated. Prior to that, a similar exercise was carried out in 1972.


He also recalled that in 2002 the freezing of parliamentary seats was done and the matter was closed.


“Set up an expert panel to draw up the political and legal action plan. Name the panel as 'Joint Action Committee for fair delimitation'. We are not against delimitation, we are for fair delimitation.”

M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu


“The delimitation of LS seats was hanging like the sword of Damocles. The BJP government is going ahead on the issue without any consultation.”

Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, Kerala


“The BJP wanted to increase seats in states where it wins and reduce in states where it loses. In Punjab, the BJP does not win.”

Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister, Punjab


“If BJP carried out delimitation exercise based on population, south India will lose its political voice, and north will make us secondary citizens.”

A Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister, Telangana


"Our stand is that population should not be the only criterion to determine the number of seats in the highest representative body of our country.”

Naveen Patnaik, Chief, Biju Janata Dal


"There is no clarity on delimitation, and we are concerned. Delimitation should be done, but in a fair manner. We are in touch with the DMK.”

Supriya Sule, MP, NCP (SP)

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