IIT Madras Director warns against fake ‘paper leak’ claims, demonstrates how Telegram messages can be manipulated

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras and a member of the National Security Advisory Board, has cautioned students and the public against blindly trusting alleged “paper leak” screenshots and documents circulating on Telegram, highlighting a potential vulnerability that can be exploited to create misleading evidence.

During a live demonstration, Prof. Kamakoti showed how a PDF file shared on Telegram at 3:39 PM could later be replaced with an entirely different document while still displaying the original timestamp.

The demonstration underscored how manipulated content can be used to falsely claim that examination papers were leaked before an exam.

Explaining the seriousness of the issue, Prof. Kamakoti said he was intentionally not revealing the exact method used to carry out the manipulation, describing it as an act of responsible disclosure to prevent misuse by malicious actors.

He urged users to exercise caution while evaluating content shared on messaging platforms and warned that Telegram messages should not automatically be treated as foolproof digital evidence.

Referring to viral claims of exam paper leaks, he said such content could be fabricated to create a false impression that confidential documents were circulated in advance.

“Please be very careful,” he said.

The warning comes amid recurring concerns over alleged paper leaks and misinformation surrounding competitive examinations.

Prof. Kamakoti’s demonstration highlighted the need for students, parents and authorities to verify claims through official channels rather than relying solely on screenshots, timestamps or documents shared on social media and messaging platforms.