The Hindu : Kerala News : Use and misuse of Internet on the rise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 02, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Use and misuse of Internet on the rise

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

e-commerce provides good opportunity for unemployed persons to eke out a living

KOCHI: Internet has become a convenient tool for transacting business. e-commerce is widening its base across the world. Thousands of transactions are taking place across the world through the Internet. The business has already made inroads into Kerala.

It is a good opportunity for unemployed persons to eke out a living, says Rajagopal, who has started selling articles through the e-mode.

He began his journey in the e-commerce with a little technical assistance from a Chennai-based company.

The company imparted a brief training to Mr. Rajagopal who had been running a small business in the city.

Mr. Rajagopal finds it a worthwhile occupation. He has been trained to utilise some space in the web page of the company to advertise various products.

The product range is wide, mostly those originating from Kochi. It could be Ayurvedic medicines, clothes, toys or spices.

The more interesting article one advertises on the net, the more is the chance for selling the product.

He has been earning to his satisfaction and is keen on increasing his share. Mr. Rajagopal is busy making contact with different manufacturers so that he can take the message to them and spread the reach of the project far and wide.

Growing business

He is also trying to introduce more `net salesmen' so that the entire business grows. In fact, Mr. Rajagopal has given up his earlier business and is concentrating on e-commerce, working from his home now.

There are many people in Kerala who earn five-figure profit monthly through e-commerce, says Shajan Philip, another e-commerce trader.

He was introduced into the field by a friend. Mr. Philip has ventured into e-commerce as a part-time salesman.

Once he gains more contacts, he intends to give up his current job as a salesman in a local company.

Even as hundreds are moving towards Internet for a profitable deal, it is also being used by techno-savvy tricksters to swindle others. The modus operandi of some of these operators is to send e-mail to unsuspecting persons. The tricksters launch the operation with an intention to capitalise on people's weakness for bounty.

The typical e-mail, often originating from a foreign country, would inform the addressee that a huge sum remains unclaimed and could be transferred to the person.

The make-believe story has all the elements of a thriller film. The amount has to be transferred to a third country for which the account number and details of the addressee is required.

Once the initial effort finds successful, the sender may seek an initial amount for getting the operations started.

This could be a few hundred dollars to be remitted by draft or through Internet.

The person who succumbs to the temptation may not hear from the sender anymore, cautions Rajagopalan Nair, an expert in Internet banking and a top executive of a private bank.

Caution urged

There are also stories of duping banks by way of getting access to private account numbers through dubious means. In one instance, a swindler took the printed details of the account, which were thrown away by customers after transacting business at ATMs.

The tricksters impersonated the account holders and gained access to the bank. Disclosing the details of one's bank account would need greater caution, Mr. Nair pointed out.

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