'Actors an easy target for cybercrimes'

Technology can be a boon or a bane. Popular TV actress Kritika Kamra, who has taken a break from fiction shows to host "MTV Webbed 2" about the prevalence of cyber abuse, says actors are more susceptible to frauds in the digital space; therefore, it is not advisable to share "intimate photos and personal details".

Kritika is a narrator on the show and will take viewers through 13 episodes, informing about real life cases of cyber abuse and precautionary measures to be taken.

The actress, an avid user of social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter, has been a victim too.

"Actors are an easy target for cybercrimes. Identity theft is common - accounts are hacked, fake accounts are made, and sometimes they are so identical to the original account that it's hard to tell; our photographs are misused one gets used to it, but we know we can't put out too much personal information," Kritika told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Popular for featuring in shows like "Kitani Mohabbat Hai" and "Kuch Toh Log Kahenge", the young actress is dependent on social media not just for staying connected to her friends and fans but also for keeping abreast on world news.

"It's the age of social media," said the 25-year-old, adding that she would never reveal her contact details online.

She says it makes complete sense to bring a show like "MTV Webbed 2" on youth channel MTV in current times, when dependency on social media is at an all-time high. The show will go on air on 4 April.

Kritika agrees that there is a pool of advantages that the online world offers to a celebrity.

"It helps us to build a direct contact with our fans, and get instant feedback for our thoughts and work," said the actress, whose Facebook fanpage has been hacked in the past.

Now she is extra careful of whom she befriends on her personal page. She says youth need to make an individual decision about where to draw the line.

Suggesting her top five tips to avoid misuse of one's social networking account, she said:

• Not all your personal information needs to be shared. It makes it easy to track you or be exploited.
• Be wary of sharing intimate pictures, which you think can be either misused or misinterpreted.
• If you make relationships and friends online, try to know the people beyond their virtual identity before baring all.
• Get your account verified if you're a public figure or have a fan-page with a large following.
• Also be careful of checking the date stamp to see when you had logged in last. You can ensure that no one is misusing your account.