Madurai city cybercrime Sub-Inspector R. Manikavasuki appealed to parents to monitor their children’s digital usage and involvement in various social media platforms.
Speaking at the Life Insurance Agents Federation of India (LIAFI) women conference – 2025 held here on Saturday, she said that the usage of social media had become indispensable to stay relevant and be updated with the daily happenings in the world.
“Alongside the pretty side, there is also a shady part to that evolving world. Even if we realise its dangers, we often fall prey to it unknowingly,” she added.
Ms. Manikavasuki further stated it was the responsibility of the parents to keep an eye on their children’s digital footprint to avoid falling into the trap of cyber rackets operating in various ways and names.
The dangers of having extremely private photos of girl children in their mobile phones could not be realised until they become the next target of cyber frauds, she added.
“Some of the basic precautions like having your Display Picture (DP) on social media handles secured, not clicking and sharing private pictures of oneself in mobile phones, having limited contact with unknown people on social media applications, among others could save youngsters from life-changing problems,” she noted.
“Even last week an 18-year-old college girl in Madurai who spoke to an unknown person on a social media platform named ‘Snapchat’ and shared photos of her was blackmailed and threatened to share her private photos,” she added.
“As the situation went out of her hands, she had to inform her parents, who, in turn, lodged a complaint with us. To avoid such situations, it is better to stay away from it,” she added.
The scenario was the same for retired people and investors, who search on websites to invest their money for better returns.
“We are not alone in the digital world. Every move is being monitored and traced by someone sitting in the other part of the world,” Ms. Manikavasuki said.
To avoid being an easy target to such cyber rackets, she said, “We should make our searches more secure and safe.”
S. Marialouis, president, LIAFI – Madurai division, speaking at the event, said it was the first such conference in the country held only specifically for the women agents.
“Through the conference we urge LIC to give concession to women agents in their maternity break. Akin to relief given to employees, the women agents should also be given concession during such times,” he added.
Further, when the women agents were visiting the branch offices in the district, to relieve them of the stress and physical burden, they should be provided a restroom with toilet facilities, he demanded.
Also, priority should be given to the women agents while they visit the branch offices for various works related to their clients and policies, he said.
Published – November 08, 2025 07:44 pm IST
