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Hacker xenZen Threatens CEO And CFO Of India’s Largest Health Insurer Star Health

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A recent Reuters exclusive revealed that a hacker known as xenZen claimed responsibility for recent death threats made against top executives at Indian health insurer Star Health. Last year, the malicious actor leaked sensitive personal data from the company.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Hacker xenZen claimed responsibility for the death threats addressed to Star Health’s CEO and CFO
• Reuters received pictures of the bullet cartridges and the note sent by the malicious actor.
• The Indian police are investigating the case.

According to the report , xenZen contacted Reuters on March 31, sending the news agency an email with evidence of their recent actions. The hacker stated that they had sent two packages containing bullet cartridges—one addressed to Chief Executive Anand Roy and the other to Chief Financial Officer Nilesh Kambli.

xenZen claimed they took these actions after being contacted by Star Health customers who said the company had denied coverage for medical bills included in their insurance plans.

Last year, the hacker demanded a $68,000 ransom from Star Health after gaining access to 31.2 million datasets , including personal details and medical reports. Since then, the healthcare company has been facing criticism over its data security measures.

Reuters hasn’t been able to confirm the hacker’s identity, location, or the accuracy of the information shared in the email. However, the New Indian Express recently reported that Indian police are investigating threats linked to xenZen and the news agency confirmed that there’s an ongoing investigation.

Star Health’s chief legal officer told Reuters, in a statement, that they could not answer their questions “due to an ongoing, highly sensitive criminal investigation” related to the recent data leak.

This type of attack and threat against insurance company executives is particularly concerning following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of last year. Before that, a major data breach targeting the healthcare system impacted over 100 million Americans.

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People Who Doomscroll Tend To Believe More In Fake News

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

If you often find yourself scrolling endlessly, you may be more prone to falling for misinformation.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Heavy social media users are more likely to believe fake news.
• Heavy social media users clicked, liked, and shared fake headlines more often.
• Researchers urge platforms to identify and protect vulnerable users.

People who compulsively use social media are significantly more likely to trust, engage with, and spread fake news, according to new research .

The research involved 189 young adults who were shown a mix of real and fake news stories formatted as social media posts. Participants rated how credible they found each story and indicated how likely they were to engage with the post by clicking, liking, commenting, or sharing.

The research presented 189 young adults with both real news and fake news stories, formatted as social media posts. Participants rated the credibility of each story alongside their willingness to interact with the post by clicking, liking, commenting, or sharing.

Findings revealed that individuals who displayed problematic social media use—defined as excessive and compulsive behaviors that disrupt daily life—showed increased susceptibility to believing fake news.

These participants were also more inclined to interact with the fake news content. In general, people with heavy social media habits were more active in interacting with all types of news content, regardless of its accuracy.

Problematic social media use refers to addiction-like behaviors tied to social media. People affected tend to feel anxious or restless when unable to access their accounts. Moreover, they show a tendency to continue using social media excessively despite harmful effects on their well-being.

The researchers argue that these findings are particularly concerning in an era when fake news spreads rapidly online, influencing everything from public health to democratic processes.

The research advocates for improved digital literacy training to help users detect false information. The researchers suggest that social media companies should implement identification systems to detect vulnerable users and then restrict their access to misinformation.

Additionally, the researchers advise that mental health professionals should make social media addiction a priority in their treatment strategies.

However, such a move appears unlikely, given that social media platforms thrive economically on maximizing user interaction, and fake news often drives the highest engagement.

While the study focused on college students and cannot be generalized to all age groups, it underlines a strong link between compulsive social media behavior and belief in fake news. It does not, however, confirm a causal relationship.

Experts recommend both taking regular breaks from social media and checking sources before sharing them. People who spend hours mindlessly scrolling through social media while reacting to dramatic headlines tend to become more vulnerable to accepting false information.