There are not that many ways through which you can make money with apps. The following methods all depend on how useful, user-friendly and marketable your app is.

1.Sell advertising

This is one of the most obvious ways through which you can make money with your app. It is also one of the most risky ways since users are not entirely fond of adverts in the middle of their using your app. But as necessity would have it, advertising space sells really well. Of course, how lucrative this is depends on how popular your app is and to what demography. Some of the most popular mobile app transcend age, economic prowess and language. They are global. Meaning, should a company choose to advertise with your app, they will be putting their brand in front of the worlds eyes. With this level of reach, you are at liberty to determine just how much an advertising banner will cost on your apps platform. If the internet revolution has taught us anything, it's that no amount is too high for global advertising. That being said, you still need to price your advertising space accordingly and you have to make sure that your app grows in popularity so as to give your clients value for their money.

2. Charge a download fee

If your app has attained global popularity, people will not mind paying a small monthly or annual fee for it. A great example is the mammoth of an app, 'WhatsApp'. Their marketing strategy is one that can be employed by anyone as long as they can create an app that will be beloved the world over. With WhatsApp, the first year of downloading and usage is absolutely free. After that, you only pay a small fee of $ 0.99 a year to use it. Now this may not sound like much to you, but considering WhatApp has millions and millions of users, after the first year, even if only 60-70% of the users decide to renew their subscription, you still have a very tidy sum. Considering how popular it is, how much money it saves people when it comes to global texting as well as how user friendly and advertisement free it is, almost 100% of the users, who grow in number every day, will choose to renew their subscription . This is one of the most lucrative ways through which you can make money with apps. Remember, it has to be popular, user friendly, universal and the asking price cannot be too exorbitant as to turn people away. It's a game of numbers. Charging a single dollar for a year subscription is absolutely worth it if you have millions and millions of users who are so hooked on your app that they will be willing to pay for it.

3. In-app sales

This is also another way through which you can make quite a bit of money with your app. The trick is to get a lot of people interested and using your app. If it is a gaming app, then you can make sure that downloading it is free, but in order for someone to advance to a certain level, they have to purchase something within the app. A token or whatever you choose it to be. The whole idea is to get people so addicted to your game that they would be willing to pay a little fee in order to advance in levels. A game like 'Angry Birds' would make a killing if it employed this strategy. It is already globally popular and addictive. By charging a few cents for every advancement from different levels, not only will you be making a lot of money on the daily, but you will also be increasing your game's credibility. For some reason or another, people tend to value and use things they pay for more than those things they do not.

Besides getting a sponsor, these are the 3 Easy Ways To Make Money With Apps.

VoIP has revolutionized communications between individuals and businesses although users have generally used it as a substitute for landline services. Slowly however, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are also getting their own VoIP apps in response to market demand. But the rise of mobile VoIP apps has not been taken lightly by carriers.

OTT means Over-The-Top and mobile VoIP apps are exactly that: these are services running on top of the underlying TG / LTE network being used by any mobile device. The OTT provider does not control any part of the physical infrastructure and the service provider (like Verizon, AT&T etc) has no control over the fees, terms or features provided by the OTT app.

A great example of an OTT service is Skype. It is owned by Microsoft and users can make phone calls or send messages to their friends through the app instead of using up the minutes or texts in their calling plan. Increasingly consumers are turning to apps such as WhatsApp, Line and other OTT services to send messages to each other instead of paying for expensive texting plans.

Although the cost of sending text messages is very marginal, carriers have not opted to cut prices in response to competition. Instead, many incumbent carriers have tried to prohibit service providers from using that network to reach customers. As expected such moves were not met favorably by consumers or the FCC, which led to an eventual rollback of the restrictive policies.

In fact some operators have even rolled out their own messaging apps to compete with OTT services although they are not very popular. However messaging apps have a long way to go before they can displace SMS as the de facto method of communication. The primary obstacle is that while SMS is universal, messaging apps restrict users to their own silos. WhatsApp users can only communicate with others on the same service and cannot send messages to Line users or vice versa.

In addition, consumers are reluctant to sign up for a service which is not yet used by any of their friends whereas SMS is practically guaranteed to reach the recipient, irrespective of device or network. OTT apps have generally caught on with consumers in less developed countries and are now making inroads into more developed markets. It is likely only a matter of time before SMS dies a natural death as the majority of users slowly move away to more modern communication methods.

So you are managing you dedicated international software development team, right? The Internet, Skype, WhatsApp and all this communication apps make it look simple, right? All your infrastructure, software and relevant assets? Wrong. Getting it right does not only need the right tools, it also needs a little bit of wisdom. Let us tell you something about it.

You probably know this already but the way to go is to adopt the Agile development philosophy by using the SRCUM platform to manage it and guaranteeing the Agile methodology is implemented correctly. And here’s a few tips for you so you can make sure you’re doing everything right.

Know why you are outsourcing, then follow your reasons

You will have financial reasons, but also reasons that guarantee you are getting the expertise you need. Spreading your coding needs allows you to harness the coding power you can get from many talented coders all over the world. As long as you clearly know why you do this, your decisions will be easy to take and your working process will be smooth.

Start with your needs and a contract

So you have recruited a great team of developers. You know their references and you’re confident about their talent and ability. This is not where it ends, it’s where it starts.

Be clear to your team about your needs. Tell them the specifications you want in all detail and give them the timeline you are expecting from them. If you are expecting any post-launch support, let them know as well, because you need them all the way to the end.

Regular Meetings and Direct Conversations: Communication is Key

Screw the documentation! Conversations among competent people are the way to go. Let them talk to each other, share expertise and experience. Your team is scattered all over the world, we know, that’s the point of Agile and SCRUM. Still, let them meet frequently, let them talk to each other. Encourage them to do so. It will always be to your advantage.

Also, make sure you communicate with them. They need to understand your business and its goals with all clarity, otherwise, they can’t serve them. Trust them. Make them trust you and understand you as well.

Align your business goals with your project’s goals

It’s no secret why so many digital products fail. There’s no convergence among app outsourcing, analysis, and planning.

Your goals must be your client’s goals so make sure the client is involved in the early stages of development and all the way until you finish. Remember this: you need a piece of code that works but even more important than that is a happy client that will come back to you next time. So you need that both things work in your favor.

Face-to-face time

You have no shortage of tools from Skype to WhatsApp. Use them. Prize face-to-face communication. Let your developers know you are paying attention to their work without making them feel stressed. This way you will build trust, understanding, and loyalty. In an international team of developers, only respect and trust will get you all the way.

The news about Equifax’s data breach, and the long line of data thefts in the years before, was very much on everyone’s mind. Knowing my focus on cybersecurity investments, someone asked me: Why does it keep happening?

I’ll focus on one out-of-the-way industry – overseas shipping – for an explanation.

A “Fingers Crossed” Cybersecurity Plan

According to the BBC, a private security firm named CyberKeel launched three years ago with the idea of bringing a higher level of awareness about viruses and data theft. The answer from big shipping companies, according to CyberKeel’s senior partner, was: Don’t waste your time. We’re pretty safe. There’s no need.

That’s typical. Hack attacks are like recessions – they’re not real until one happens to you.

It turns out one shipper had a virus in its computer system that added a hacker’s bank account number each time the shipping company’s suppliers requested electronic payment.

The hack extracted several million dollars, according to CyberKeel, before the shipper realized why its suppliers weren’t getting paid.

The final straw was the NotPetya ransomware attack this summer. The giant Danish shipping firm Maersk recently said the hack forced it to halt operations at 76 of its ocean terminals around the world, causing $300 million worth of disruptions to its business.

Maersk’s CEO told the Financial Times that the attack was so damaging “we ended up having to use WhatsApp on our private phones [to communicate]. It was, frankly, quite a shocking experience.”

The point is, huge cyberhacks keep happening when computer security isn’t a top priority for a company.

It’s also a key reason why cybersecurity stocks will continue to be huge winners for years to come.

The big challenge – even now – is getting companies to take the threat seriously.

If we own a physical business, a home or a car, security is always a priority, right? We make sure we have strong locks on the doors.

It doesn’t prevent a break-in, of course. But a good lock, fortified doors and unbreakable windows sure make the thieves’ job a lot harder.

We pull on the door handle a couple times just to make sure the deadbolt is set. We tell our employees and children to make sure to lock the doors when they leave.

Why It’s “Game On” for Cybersecurity Stocks

Yet – just taking the shipping industry as one example – most companies do no such thing. Ocean shipping today is highly dependent on onboard computers and automation. That’s why vessels that once needed crews of dozens in decades past can now be operated with as few as 13 people.

And yet, when a British consulting firm surveyed 2,500 merchant seamen about at-sea cybersecurity, they found:

• Forty percent of ships’ officers said they had sailed on a vessel infected with a computer virus or malware.
• Eighty-seven percent of ships’ crews had no cybersecurity training.
• It takes an average of 146 days to detect a shipboard data breach.
• Seventy percent of shipboard data breaches go undetected.

Surveys like the one above demonstrate why cybersecurity stocks will continue to ride the wave of spending in this sector, as business after business, and industry after industry, wakes up to the threat.

One can try productive tools, entertainment titles and other tools to perform their tasks. Here is the list of some of the best BlackBerry applications.

Call Reminder Notes

This is a handy app that allows you to set a small note to appear the next time a particular contact calls you. Additionally, The note can be assigned to multiple contacts. So, if you need to remind all your housemates or colleagues of any event or task, you can have it appear each time you call one of them. The reminder is automatically cleared once you hang up from the call, and an optional after-call window allows you to add a new reminder. You can even create a calendar event or add a note to their contact in your phone book.

Foursquare

This is a fun social networking service that lets the user get connected with friends. One can explore their city and earn fun badges along the way. Check in to venues when you’re out and earn special badges and promotions. You can even compete with your friends and explore your world. This amazing app of BlackBerry lets you check in, view specials and explore your area.

Where’s My Phone Pro?

This is a standalone application, that does not require any third-party service. This app allows the users to email or SMS their lost BlackBerry device with a code word and command it to make certain functions like – emitting a loud beep noise, popping up the screen with a message, etc. The owner of the device can also make it send an email to him, containing the map of its location.

BlackBerry Messenger

This is a great app that lets you chat with friends, send photos and video, start group chats and much more. This is truly an amazing messaging solution for BlackBerry users.In other words, BlackBerry Messenger is a free messaging app that lets you communicate easily with other BlackBerry Smartphone owners to start group chats, plan events or share content. This app is used by a nearly 54 million people from across the world every day.

WhatsApp Messenger

This app is for the user who wish to chat with their friend who doesn’t have a BlackBerry. WhatsApp Messenger can be used by people, who have their friends and family on other platforms. With this app one can easily message contacts on other platforms. It works off the contact phone number, so as long as they are in your address book they’ll show up on WhatsApp. One can even send images, videos, voice notes and more.

Dropbox

Dropbox is the app which provides the user with 2GB of cloud storage. Dropbox can be used to store photos, video and other files for access when and where they are needed. This can be said as a must have application for BlackBerry Smartphones or any other Smartphone. In other words, Dropbox is an online storage solution that allows the users to upload and synchronize their documents and photos to the cloud, and access them from anywhere in the world.

BlackBerry Protect

This app can be used to protect your valuable BlackBerry device and gives you peace of mind. You can attempt to locate it or even wipe all the data. The app runs in the background and keep track of your device while backing up all the important data.

BlackBerry applications are really cool and can turn normal phones into Smartphones.

It has been an interesting and eventful year for smartwatches. The most awaited smartwatch of the year, the Apple Watch has finally released and has created quite a flutter among other brands. People are actively looking for the best smartwatch review. 2015 has accordingly blessed tech enthusiasts with a host of smartwatches. So, with the latest smartwatch news struggling to keep pace with the constant releases, let’s take a look at the best smartwatches of 2015.

Apple Watch

Undoubtedly, the smartwatch that has managed to garner the maximum amount of attention is the Apple Watch. The much awaited smartwatch comes with a sophisticated design and a slick rectangular digital display, which supports a wide array of watch faces. Among the several features of this device, users can cancel or receive calls and can stay connected with friends, track their fitness data and can also carry out some basic functions of the iPhone as well. Other apps which come with this device include stopwatch, timer, alarm, weather, calendar, maps, etc. The Apple Watch syncs with iPhone 5 and above.

Asus Zenwatch 2

All the avenues of the latest smartwatch news are all racing to cover details of the Zenwatch 2. The Asus Zenwatch 2 WI501Q smartwatch released in June 2015 and is powered by Android Wear OS and is compatible with devices loaded with android v4.3 and above. The device comes with a stylish rectangular dial that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It also comes with IP67 rating for added protection. The device notifies the user with details on calls, messages and emails. There is also voice recognition and Google Now. The best news is this device also comes with WhatsApp app, which allows users to reply to messages on WhatsApp, the popular chatting app, as well. The strap is available in leather, rubber and metal, depending on your preference and budget.

Sony Smartwatch 3 Stainless Steel

Sony unveiled its latest Smartwatch 3 Stainless Steel edition in February 2015. This device comes with specs that are more or less identical to those that were seen in the Smartwatch 3 but the main difference here is in its sleek look. The improved look of this device was praised in every smartwatch review. 2015 may in fact just be the year for Sony, since this brand is yet to taste success in the smartwatch sector. This device comes with 1.6 inch display, 1.2 GHz quad core processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal memory. This smartwatch is also water resistant. Sony’s famous Lifelog app also works to help users stay connected and track their fitness activities.

Pebble Time

Another major release of 2015 is definitely the Pebble Time. The culmination of Pebble’s famous Kickstarter campaign, the Pebble Time is the third generation smartwatch from Pebble, after Pebble Watch and Pebble Steel. The Pebble Time is currently available on pre-order, and comes with enhanced features such as a colour display and an improved interface with timeline that organizes notifications, news and reminders of set events. Available in red, white and black, the Pebble Time is definitely making headlines in the latest smartwatch news.

These were some of the best smartwatches of 2015. The year isn’t over yet and there are still sure to be more releases in store for the final quarter. Only time will tell the fate of the several smartwatches swarming the market right now.

For many people, an application and an app both are the same, but there are certain differences between the two. Applications are operated on a desktop and cannot be run on a mobile platform; whereas, an app can run on mobile phones. It can also run on desktops, but is specifically designed for mobiles and tablets. There are certain features that differentiate an application from an app. They are as follows:

Design:

Applications are large in memory and they are capable of handling huge amounts of data. They are capable of doing many tasks. Whereas apps are of less memory and can handle only a moderate amount of data. An app is designed to perform only a specific task. Some examples of applications are Open Office, photo-shop, browsers and of apps are Quick Office, WhatsApp, Angry Birds.

Platforms:

Applications are designed to operate on heavy operating systems like Windows XP/Vista/7, Apple OS (OS X) and Ubuntu that is to say, they can be operated only on desktop operating systems. On the other hand, apps are specifically designed to operate on light mobile operating systems like Android, iOS and Windows Phone OS.

Apps can run not only on mobiles and tablets, but also on desktops provided, of course, that the desktop OS supports those apps. Applications can run only on desktops and laptops but not on mobiles and tablets.

Functionality:

Applications will have full functionality and they can be used for accomplishing a wide range of tasks. For example, if we take Firefox browser application, it is capable of doing different tasks like opening websites, playing videos in websites, showing maps and stocks.

Apps, on the other hand, have limited functionality and can accomplish only a single task for which they are designed. Different apps are designed to perform different individual tasks like playing YouTube videos, showing stocks maps. For example, WhatsApp can be used only for messaging for which it is designed.

Cost:

Applications are priced much higher compared to that of apps because applications are sophisticated and are capable of performing intensive and a wide range of tasks. Whereas apps will not cost much as they are very basic in design and are designed for performing specific simple tasks. Many apps are available free of cost.

Availability:

Applications are provided by major IT companies like Windows, Apple, Adobe and others. Applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop are used for performing several tasks and they cost more. Apps are available for mobiles in different stores like Apple app store, Google Play (Android), Windows phone store and BlackBerry app world, all these stores can be directly accessed from the mobile.

An SMS gateway enables a PC to send or get Short Message Administration transmissions to or from a media communication. Most messages are in the long run steered into the cell phone systems. Numerous SMS gateways bolster media change from email and different configurations.

In a country where more smartphones are being used than toothbrushes, Bulk SMS Marketing is no doubt any business’s sure shot way to connect with audiences. It is an extremely effective medium to reach out to millions of people at the same time. And also the open rate of SMS is the best among this kind of marketing, So there are possibilities for best ROI

Generally, an SMS is opened inside five minutes of its conveyance. Hence, that makes Bulk SMS Marketing an extraordinary decision for new item dispatch data, constrained offers, regular rebates, arrangement updates and coupon advancements.

Utilizing SMS to specifically instant message clients are an extremely successful approach to impart straightforwardly new data and offers. In any case, the tenets that administer the business are tight with respect to what is considered spam and what isn’t. This implies organizations that need to use Short Message Service (SMS) framework strategies for marketing and correspondence should be watchful about how they handle the errand. A business ought to make sure that the immediate correspondence framework that it has worked to address Bulk SMS marketing needs was developed in light of those particular concerns.

Utilizing an SMS Gateway has its own favourable circumstances. Some of them are as per the following:

· SMS Platform for Business Messaging

· Sub-Accounts for Team Members

· Virtual Mobile Number

· SMS Sender ID

· Long Text Messages

· SMS Stop Command

· Reporting & Analytics

· Secure Text Messaging

· Incoming Message Automation

There are few types of correspondence accessible to an organization that is as immediate and successful in taking a message and truly putting it right in the hands of the planned buyer. On the off chance that a specialist’s office needs to stay up with the latest about the doctor’s accessibility, SMS is the ideal method to do it. It is likewise a significantly less expensive technique for correspondence that other direct marketing options, for example, mailing updates or making telephone calls. As in the case of a specialist’s office, it’s less demanding and less expensive to send updates about arrangements to patients by means of content informing than it is to have a partner put a telephone call and endeavour to talk straightforwardly with the patient.

I’m expecting serious civil liberties and privacy problems under a Trump presidency. I strongly recommend that you take steps to protect yourself – steps I’m going to outline shortly.

We now live under conditions that would make the great authoritarians of yore salivate with envy. Government’s capacity to monitor us has never been greater. And, as that capacity advances, politicians and bureaucrats adjust their understanding of privacy and constitutional liberties in ways that allow them to use it.

The only thing that prevents them from defining those things out of existence entirely is the residual respect for constitutionality held by those in key positions. As I argued last week, evidence of such respect is very thin indeed in the incoming Trump administration.

That’s why, love him or hate him, you need to be prepared…

Privacy Is Your Responsibility

No matter who’s in charge, government always finds a way to justify new methods to invade our privacy.

For example, the Justice Department’s legal rationale for monitoring our emails and phone calls is based on the old-fashioned postal letter. Back when snail mail was king, courts ruled that any information on the outside of a letter – addressee, return address, place of posting – was in the public domain, and therefore available to government investigators. That’s why the post office scans and records every single piece of mail in the U.S… every day.

That logic now applies to the metadata of every call you make and every email you send. Soon it may apply to your Web browsing history as well. I simply don’t trust Trump’s key appointees to resist that logic. So, here’s what I recommend:

1. Get Signal and/or WhatsApp for mobile messages: Signal is a sophisticated Swiss messaging app that fully encrypts all your text messages. It requires both parties to use it, so it isn’t ideal for everything. Nevertheless, Moxie Marlinspike, the founder of Open Whisper Systems, Signal’s developer, says there has been a huge expansion in their user base since the election. So you’ll probably find more Signalers on your contact list as time goes on.WhatsApp is an alternative that encrypts your messaging and VoIP calls. It isn’t as secure as Signal because it’s owned by Facebook, whose approach to court orders is uncertain, but for ordinary purposes it will prevent real-time monitoring of your communications.
2. Encrypt your computer’s hard drive: Full disk encryption makes the contents of your computer totally unintelligible to anyone without the password. For example, if you are stopped by Homeland Security upon return to the U.S., your laptop can be searched before you officially enter the U.S. But if it’s encrypted, no law says you must divulge the password.Both Apple and Windows computers have automatic encryption built in if you activate it. That’s fine for most purposes.
3. Get a password manager: Using secure apps and utilities like those above means having passwords – lots of them. Don’t write them on your palm. Get a password manager that stores them (encrypted, of course) in one place and generates and even changes passwords for you.Personally, I use Dashlane. Other good password managers are 1Password and KeePass. I don’t recommend LastPass, another popular one, because they allowed themselves to be hacked last year. That’s just not good enough.
4. Use two-factor authentication: Most email programs, cloud storage utilities, banking apps, social media and other sensitive applications these days offer two-factor authentication (TFA). TFA requires that every time you sign in, you go through a secondary layer of security: a code to enter at login that is sent to your phone via text message. Some offer such codes via email, but don’t use it. If hackers gain access to your email, they can get access to your accounts by having TFA codes sent to them.
5. Use HTTPS Everywhere: My friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation developed a browser plug-in for Firefox and Chrome that forces websites you visit to use the most secure connection protocol. If encryption is available on the site you visit, your connection to the site will be encrypted, and you will be protected from various forms of surveillance and hacking during that session.
6. Don’t rely on your browser’s “incognito mode” to do things it wasn’t meant to do: Browsers like Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox and Microsoft Edge allow you to start a browsing session that doesn’t record anything you do during that session. Any websites visited, cookies downloaded or other connection stats will be wiped clean when you end the session.”Private” browsing modes thus protect you from searches of your computer. But unless you’re connecting to an encrypted site (via HTTPS Everywhere, for example), whoever operates the site can collect all your browsing data anyway since it is recorded by the site’s server.
7. Use DuckDuckGo for sensitive searches: If you’re not convinced that Google’s motto “do no evil” is anything more than a marketing ploy, use DuckDuckGo, an alternative search engine that doesn’t record your searches or anything else about you. It produces great results, so you won’t really lose much by using it instead of Google.
8. Use a virtual private network (VPN): A VPN is the best all-around protection you can get on the Internet, because it encrypts everything you do, including your identity and location. VPNs can be used on both your computers and your phones. That’s important, because as Eva Galperin, global-policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says, “Logging into airport Wi-Fi without using a VPN is the unprotected sex of the Internet.” As a bonus, you can also use a VPN to spoof your location and gain access to region-locked streaming content, like Amazon Prime, when you are abroad. The only downside is that they slow your connection a bit. VPNs are provided by specialized hosting companies that charge about $5 a month for the service.

These techniques make some or all of your electronic communications and data instantly invisible to anyone. They use levels of encryption that would take a bank of supercomputers hundreds of years to break.

When it comes to protecting your privacy, now is the time… because afterward is too late.

Sometimes I wonder if technologies have helped us in making our life simpler or it has made it more complicated. Whether social media and social applications are meant to bring us closer to one another or to drift us apart? What do you need to know about an individual before you start giving your trust to them? Do you think if you talk to people once in a month, chat with them on WhatsApp every day and meet them once or twice in a year, is enough to trust them? If your answer is yes, then read further.

It was Friday night at around 11 PM when I received numerous messages on my WhatsApp from my friend, Sheetal Katkar, asking me to investigate about and get some information about Dronesh Mishra, who is based out of Nagpur. I was feeling very sleepy and at that point of time, I didn’t even care to read the entire text.

I know Sheetal for last 12 years. We might not be best of the buddies but we know enough about each other to fit into the definition of friendship. She is from Nagpur. In last 12 years, there were occasions when we didn’t communicate with one another for a couple of years and there were occasions when we stayed in touch on a daily basis for 7-8 months in a year. Sheetal is 35 years of age and working in Bangalore in the back-office of a leading bank.

Next day morning while taking my morning tea, I read the entire text shared by Sheetal on my WhatsApp. However, I decided to verify few details before wearing my investigation hat. “Who is this Dronesh? Why do you need to know about him? How did you know him?” I asked.

“Dronesh is known to my sister, Pooja since December 2014. She found him on one of the leading matrimony sites. Pooja is working with Software Development Company in Bangalore; while Dronesh is working in Delhi with an IT giant. They want to get married. Only once did I meet this guy and I found him decent. He is in touch with me through WhatsApp. However, we don’t know much about him. We don’t know his address. We don’t know about his family. And most importantly, we don’t know if he is single or already married,” she summarized.

“What do you know about this guy”?

“Nothing”

“What does Pooja know about him? How often do they meet?”

“They have met on few occasions. They usually stayed in touch through WhatsApp, Google Talk, and daily phone calls. She knows about his family. He has widow mother. She knows about his job and about his future plans, etc. Having known to each other for last one year, now they want to get married. Even his mother is asking him to get married soon. He is already 35 years of age; while Pooja is 31 years old”.

“Okay. Message me his contact details”.

After about half-an-hour, I called her up.

“Sheetal, this guy doesn’t seem to exist. There is no one with this name on Facebook, or Twitter, or LinkedIn, or Instagram, not even on any Job Portal”.

“That’s what. He is not on social media sites. He says that he don’t like to be on FB and Twitter, it’s waste of time. He doesn’t want to be on LinkedIn because he doesn’t need it. That’s the challenge. How can we find out about him without his knowledge? We don’t have common friends. Pooja has already spoken to our parents and they have given expressive approval but even they need to meet his family and parents”.

In today’s world, when CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn; when everyone is on FB and Twitter, he is not there. He is working for an IT organization. That’s very strange. But what should I do now? That’s my challenge.

Let’s take help of another App, Truecaller. As I key in the number, I found the name of some Ranjeev Singh Thakur. I thought maybe Dronesh has taken help from his colleague or friend to get a phone number on their name, probably when he was new to Delhi. But it made my work a bit more difficult. The Social identity of Ranjeev Singh Thakur can either be Ranjeev Singh Thakur, or it can be Ranjeev Singh or maybe Ranjeev Thakur.

Let’s try.

On LinkedIn, I found FIVE profiles with the name of Ranjeev Singh Thakur – TWO profiles with Display Pictures (DP’s) and THREE without Display Pictures. I downloaded both DP’s and sent to Sheetal and asked her to identify if one of them is Dronesh. To my surprise, she identified one of them as Dronesh.

“Are you sure”, I asked. In a case of any doubt, ask your sister to reconfirm.

After half an hour, she called back and reassured one of them as Dronesh.

For a moment, I was speechless and didn’t know how to react and what to say. The guy Pooja was meeting as her probable future husband, Dronesh was in real Ranjeev Singh Thakur. He wasn’t working with IT giant, as claimed by him but working with a Financial Service Company as Area Sales Manager.

Anyways, I called up both the sister, took them in a conference call and broke the news. They were equally shocked as I was.

Another fact that I found from his Twitter post was a fact that he was married 2011. Whether he is still married or not, I am not sure but he was married in 2011. Ranjeev has created a Gmail account with the name of Dronesh Mishra and he was using this identity to register on matrimonial and other social sites. Through this identity, he was communicating with at least ELEVEN females from across India.

At the end of it, I was uncertain of my emotions. Should I feel happy to have saved the life of a female OR should I feel sad for creating more problems for her?

The investigation was one part of this story. The complicated and more dangerous part was the confrontation, realization, and acceptance. At first, Dronesh refused to accept his identity as Ranjeev. But when we asked him to show his passport or Pan Card or Bank Account Statement, he accepted it. He apologized to Pooja and asked her to marry him. He further said that he has divorced his wife in 2013.

Pooja was hurt. She felt cheated. She didn’t want to keep any communication with him. As we say in the language of social media, she blocked his number. He wasn’t an easy net to crack. He began to stalk her. He threatened her to leak their intimate pictures and videos on the internet. Finally, we took the help of police. At the time of writing of this story, he is in jail for last SIX months.

From this case, few things are very clear –

1) Though there are no right or wrong ways of dating and while dating you don’t carry identify or address proofs. Yet, I think you can find the real identity of an individual after 2-3 meetings.

2) On one side, where social media has given a platform to increase your visibility and create your personal brand; it has also given new masks to fraudulent people and criminals to hide their identity.

3) We are living in the age of selfies; where we like to capture everything around us, capturing our every special moment, however, use your personal judgment to decide the line of control. You don’t need to capture everything.

4) No matter what is your age; relationship development takes time. Where you find someone rushing into things then that is an indication for you to be alert and extra cautious. Relationships are another name of patience.

5) Lastly, break-ups, hurts, cheating, are parts and parcel of life. Don’t let it dent your passion for life and love for yourself. It is not an end of a world. It is a new beginning.

Had you been in the place of Pooja, how differently, you would have handled this situation? Do you think she could have handled in a better or a different way?

(This story is based on a true incident. Names of people and places have been changed to protect the identity.)