Chandan Kumar, 52, a senior executive working with a multinational company in Mumbai, has been arguably the biggest known victim of cyber hacking in India till date. His social media accounts, phone numbers, debit and credit card numbers, Aadhaar, and passport have been hacked since October 2021. A police complaint and hiring of an ethical hacker to trace the unknown hacker have not yet proved fruitful.
Kumar comes from an affluent family. He worked with leading international banks and lived in London and Singapore for eight years before returning to India. Today, the life of his family, which comprises of his wife Mausumi, a daughter, and a son, has turned into a nightmare. The Kumars have not only lost privacy but their sleep too.
“Calls are automatically being made from my and my wife’s numbers. Several applications are being installed automatically,” said Kumar, a resident of Navi Mumbai. “The hacker has total control over our mobile phone, emails, and social media accounts. We have become his puppets; we are helpless. We are reduced to mute spectators only.”
The ordeal
The hacker manages to call Kumar’s relatives and friends numerous times a day, creating a false impression that Kumar or Mausumi are calling them. Once a phone call or WhatsApp voice is answered, the hacker does not say anything. When at home, Kumar can watch Mausumi calling his number when she is busy with her household work and did not actually call him.
