Perils of digital India Mahmood Hassan With the growing popularity of the digital medium, financial transactions have grown by leaps and bounds with the introduction of the core banking system. (The writer is Director, Char Areas Development, Assam. He can be reached at mahmoodhassan61786@gmail.com) With the growing popularity of the digital medium, financial transactions have grown by leaps and bounds with the introduction of the core banking system. The use of the digital media for online transfer of funds has been recognised by the governments for bringing transparency thereby eradicating the middlemen in DBT (direct benefit transfer) payments to beneficiaries for any public sector schemes. This has indeed helped in reduction in corruption in monetary transactions. But how safe are our bank accounts after introduction of core banking system despite all these developments? The idea of a "Digital India" might have a superlative positive impact in our everyday lives, but the big question is how safe is this medium? The darker side of technology has revealed large-scale forgery of records by criminals to access to bank accounts for siphoning off hard earned money by fraudulent means. Most of the rural and poor beneficiaries are caught unaware to whom the fund is transferred through DBT to their bank accounts are siphoned off. The number of cybercrime is gradually increasing in the society as more and more unemployed youths are resorting to such crimes for the sake of earning a few extra bucks.