CoWin portal data leak feeds risk of scams and extortion calls: Experts

Information like government ID numbers such as Aadhaar, passports, or PAN numbers become persuasive records, as they cannot be changed or erased for a particular individual

The alleged leak of private data of Indian Covid-19 vaccine takers from different age groups and demographics registered on the CoWin portal may create a perfect recipe for cybercrime such as identity thefts, phishing attacks, scams and extortion calls, experts warn.

Though the government has denied any breach at its end, accurate information about vaccine takers’ government ID cards, mobile numbers, addresses, and dates of birth was found to be leaked on a Telegram channel. According to cyber security professionals, the nature of datasets stored with the CoWin platform provides almost everything needed for sophisticated social engineering tactics.

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