Ludhiana: AI-generated imagery is landing students of this city’s elite private schools in the sights of the cybercrime cell.“Clothes-swapping” apps to sabotage rivals and weaponising deepfake technology to bully and harass classmates are the dark side of the digital classroom. The Ludhiana cybercrime cell has received six complaints in six weeks involving fraudulent social media profiles. In each instance, the perpetrators were female students aged 16 to 17 who targeted peers — mostly girls — by uploading AI-generated or “morphed” inappropriate content.In one recent case, a Class-X student discovered a fake account featuring AI-manipulated images of herself. Police traced the profile to a classmate who confessed to creating the content because the victim was friendly with a boy she liked. The target’s family declined to press charges due to the offender’s age.Cybercrime cell officials claim that motivation for the digital attacks that use AI and specialised applications to alter genuine photographs typically stems from jealousy over friendships or attempts to distract high-achieving students.Inspector Satvir Singh, head of the cybercrime police station, said these actions constituted serious criminal offences. “Creating fake profiles or uploading morphed images falls under impersonation and the Information Technology Act,” he said. “Criminal sections apply based on the content shared.”While five of the six recent complainants were female, officials noted that boys had also become targets. The district police have launched awareness seminars in local schools, but inspector Satvir Singh urged school administrators and parents to be more active in monitoring the digital behaviour of minors.
