Hoax Bomb Calls To Airlines: 11 Fake X Profiles Flagged As Threats Continue

By OB Bureau On Oct 23, 2024

New Delhi: At least 11 fake user profiles on social networking site X have been flagged as of now for spreading bomb hoax messages about multiple Indian airlines. However, with more hoax messages coming through social media posts, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), the investigators said the number of profiles from which such messages are generated may increase.

The messages could have been sent by one person or a gang operating from a highly sophisticated cyber network, said the senior officers involved in the investigation. Multiple central and state teams, including members from the central intelligence gathering units and cybercrime tracking agencies, are now part of the investigation teams, News18 reported.

The Indian aviation sector is rattled since the first bomb hoax message was received eight days back and the number continues to multiply by the day.

The agencies have decided not to issue grounding or diversion orders unless a serious threat is confirmed. Despite this, some airlines are taking no chances, making independent calls to divert flights for passenger safety, a senior IPS officer serving the ministry of home affairs (MHA) was quoted as saying.

“As threats continue to surface, the balance between caution and operational integrity becomes a critical focus for aviation security teams. It is not a simple case of cybercrime. It has now become very complex as aviation is a critical sector globally. There are several strict norms for the global airspace. We cannot even divulge all critical details at this juncture,” said the senior officer, who is associated with the investigation process.

“Expect tighter scrutiny as investigations have ramped up. We are working on some leads,” he added. The senior officer further explained that the surge in such hoax messages has heightened tensions in aviation security as authorities grapple with the fine line between managing panic and ensuring passenger protection.

The ministry of home affairs, the civil aviation ministry and agencies concerned, including the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and related organisations, have been taking all efforts to ensure security of flights with Indian call signs in the airspace, said another senior officer in the aviation ministry, according to News 18.

“We have been trying everything, including involving meta data analysts, taking the assistance of hackers, contacting the VPN (Virtual Private Network) operators.”

“The cyber criminal or the gang or different persons, whoever is involved in this disruption, they have been creating new user id and changing IP addresses. They are using encrypted VPN networks that mask the IP addresses. However, we are trying to track them, and we have received some important leads,” added the officers.