Pune District Supply Officer, Dinesh Taware, has issued a public advisory urging people to refrain from sharing their phone numbers at shopping malls and restaurants. He emphasized that it is a criminal offense to share phone numbers without an individual’s consent.
According to Taware, any establishment that shares a customer’s mobile number without their permission can face legal action under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The penalties for such violations include up to three years of imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 5 lakh.
In light of increasing incidents of cyber extortion, Taware’s statement serves as a precautionary measure to protect individuals’ personal information, particularly as phone numbers are often linked to bank accounts. He stressed that customers should not be coerced into providing their mobile numbers at commercial establishments.
The statement further highlighted that many businesses, including shopping malls and restaurants, routinely collect customers’ mobile numbers, often to build databases. However, these numbers can sometimes be leaked intentionally to cybercriminals, who use them for malicious purposes.
To mitigate the risks of data breaches and cybercrime, the government and law enforcement agencies have issued multiple advisories, cautioning the public against sharing sensitive information, including phone numbers. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has also released notifications advising people to be cautious about disclosing their mobile numbers to commercial entities.
