Beware Facebook friend requests, paramilitary told

SUSPICIOUS PROFILES, MOSTLY OF WOMEN AND OPERATED BY PAK, CHINESE HANDLERS, HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BEFRIEND TROOPERS

NEWDELHI: The social media monitoring cells of paramilitary forces have noticed suspicious Facebook profiles, mostly of women posing as research scholars or tourists, and believed to be operated by Pakistani and Chinese handlers, attempting to befriend troopers active on social media.

Senior paramilitary officers, who asked not to be identified, say there has been an increase in the number of such approaches over the past two to three years, especially targeting troopers posted on India’s eastern and western borders. They said there has been no leakage of sensitive information because of strong preventive mechanisms.

Earlier this year, a senior IAF officer was held for being allegedly involved in espionage and attempting to access sensitive documents after being befriended by a woman on a social media platform.

The messages are usually innocuous. One such message, seen by HT, reads: “I am a student from China now my major is international relationship. I have to finish a essay about Indo-china border police. Is it convenient for you to offer me any stories about their daily life? If you need my help next time, I will try my best!”

The paramilitary officers said the efforts target troopers of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF). “The individuals claim to be interested in visiting India as a tourist or in some cases pose as research students.they initiate conversations with troopers who post their professional details online or have their photographs in uniform,” a senior ITBP officer said.