Have you been obsessed with Nano Banana selfies and portraits? A senior IPS officer has warned against falling for potential scams, which could lead to financial fraud for innocent users. The Google Gemini Nano Banana AI trend has gone viral in the wake of celebrities and eminent personalities sharing AI-altered versions of their pictures online. With the rising popularity also comes the risk of scams, which the police office warns about.
VC Sajjanar, a prominent IPS officer, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to alert citizens about the dangers associated with the Nano Banana trend. In a translated post, he emphasised that while internet trends can be fun, they pose a huge risk if users are not careful with their personal data.
“Be cautious with internet trends! Falling for the ‘Nano Banana’ trending craze and sharing personal information online can lead to scams,” he wrote. He went on to issue a huge warning, stating that a single click on a malicious link or unauthorised app could result in cybercriminals gaining access to bank accounts and stealing money.
IPS officer warns against online scams
The officer’s post urges people to prioritise data safety over being a part of viral online fads. He strongly advised against sharing photos or any other personal details with fake websites or unauthorised applications that claim to generate Nano Banana-style images. Sajjanar made a serious point, stating that while trends disappear, data uploaded to unverified platforms is extremely difficult to recover.
As an example, Sajjanar shared a screenshot of a news report revealing details about a scam victim, who was targeted after trying to join the trend. His post was widely circulated and tagged key government and law enforcement agencies, including the Prime Minister’s office, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, aiming to raise awareness at a national level.
How to stay safe from Nano Banana scams
While scamsters devise novel ways to steal your data and images, there are a few steps that you can take to ensure your safety from such scams.
– Nano Banana images can only be generated on the Google Gemini app. No other app can generate such stylised images. Hence, you don’t need to download any other app to get your Nano Banana images. The Gemini app is preinstalled on modern Android phones and can be downloaded on iPhones via the App Store only.
– It is advised not to share Nano Banana-stylised personal images on social media. Even though the images are generated by AI, you could still end up sharing personal images that you may not otherwise share, thus compromising your privacy.
– It is also advised to share your Nano Banana images with a limited group of friends and family, considering how scammers can make use of such images to their advantage.