Sun Jan 19 12:56:47 UTC 2025: ## Government Cybercrime Campaign Hinders Household Survey in Visakhapatnam
**Visakhapatnam, January 19, 2025** – A nationwide government campaign aimed at preventing cybercrime is ironically hindering a crucial household survey in Visakhapatnam. The campaign, launched by the Union government, features a mandatory caller tune warning citizens against responding to unknown calls and sharing OTPs. This initiative, while intended to protect citizens, is creating difficulties for the ongoing Household Geo-tagging Survey (HGS) team.
Surveyors are required to contact residents via registered phone numbers, verify their identities, and register them in government records, a process requiring the sharing of OTPs. However, the new caller tune, coupled with widespread cybercrime awareness, is making residents hesitant to share their OTPs, even with official surveyors.
Survey team members report significant challenges in completing their work due to this reluctance. One surveyor from GVMC ward 46 stated, “People are not willing to share the OTPs with us. The government should look for an alternative.” Another from ward 67 highlighted the impact of the caller tune, saying it makes their work “difficult.”
The campaign, implemented by the Department of Telecom on December 18th, mandates telecom operators to play the cybercrime awareness tune 8-10 times daily for three months. While acknowledging the positive societal impact of the campaign, surveyors are urging authorities to address the unintended consequences for official surveys. The Sankranti holidays and inaccurate contact information further hampered the survey’s progress.
Despite a recent meeting with district officials urging completion of the survey by January 30th, no solutions regarding the OTP issue were offered. The situation underscores the need for a balanced approach to public awareness campaigns, ensuring they don’t inadvertently impede essential government services.
First Piper 