Page 7 - Cyber Fraud

Centre freezes 450,000 'mule' bank accounts used in cyber fraud schemes

The Citizen Financial Cyber Frauds System found 40,000 mule accounts in SBI, 10,000 in PNB, 7,000 in Canara, 6,000 in Kotak Mahindra, and 5,000 in Airtel Payments Bank

ED files charge sheet against cyber fraudsters as I4C issues new advisory

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging people to guard against the menace of 'digital' arrests, probe agencies said they are taking action against this category of cyber crime with the ED filing a charge sheet in one such case and the I4C issuing a fresh advisory. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a statement on Saturday, saying it filed a prosecution complaint before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Bengaluru last month against eight accused who allegedly "lured" common people through "fake" IPO allotments and stock market investments through fraudulent apps. "Probe found that a huge network of cyber scams in India, involving fake stock market investments and digital arrest schemes executed primarily through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. "Known as 'pig-butchering' scams, stock market investment scams entice victims with promises of high returns, using fake websites and misleading WhatsAp

Awareness essential to protect oneself from 'cyber arrest' scams: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke about the cyber crime of "digital arrests", noting that it has hit all sections of society and urging people to adopt the mantra of "stop, think and take action" when faced with such a scam. In his 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast, Modi said probe agencies are working with states to deal with the issue but added that awareness is essential in protecting oneself from this crime. The prime minister played a representative video to show how such criminals pose as probe agency officials to prey on people's fear after gathering detailed information about their potential victims. He said, "Beware of Digital Arrest frauds.No investigative agency will ever contact you by phone or video call for such an investigation." Modi asked people to dial 1930 to connect with national cyber helpline or connect with its portal and also inform police about such a crime. They should record such conversations and also take screenshots, he said touching on the crime wh

Cyber criminals make fake WhatsApp accounts of Goa minister, another MLA

Goa's Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral have been targeted by cyber fraudsters who have allegedly created their fake profiles on WhatsApp and have been asking for money from people. BJP leader Godinho said a police complaint has been lodged in connection with his fake WhatsApp account. In a post on his Facebook page late Wednesday evening, Godinho said a false message has been circulated using his name and image on WhatsApp requesting for money through an Amazon Pay e-gift card. "The message is fraudulent and I strongly condemn such malicious activities," he said. The minister said an official complaint has been lodged with the Vasco police and the matter is under investigation. "I urge everyone to remain vigilant and not to engage with any suspicious requests," he said. In a similar cyber fraud, a fake WhatsApp account with an image of Curchorem MLA Cabral has also been created to seek money from people. Cabral, the former state PWD minister, on Thursd

Meta launches initiative with Centre to empower Indians against scams

Kicking off the national campaign, Meta has released an educational film featuring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana

Hacker builds website to leak insurer Star Health's data days after lawsuit

While it's unclear if the website was made by the same individual Star Health sued, the hacker claims that a senior Star Health official sold the data and later tried to renegotiate terms

How fraudsters use deepfakes of Virat Kohli, Ambani to scam you: Explained

Scammers are setting up over 1,000 phishing domains daily and creating deepfake videos of well-known Indian personalities like Mukesh Ambani and Virat Kohli to push dubious gaming apps

Dark side of tech: AI-driven cyberattacks call for better security measures

In a world increasingly reliant on technology, cybercriminals are misusing artificial intelligence (AI) to execute sophisticated attacks, posing significant threats to individuals and organisations alike, according to an expert. Recent high-profile data breach reports involving Star Health exemplify this alarming trend, highlighting the urgent need for upgraded cybersecurity measures. In a conversation with PTI, Sneha Katkar, Head of Strategy and Product Custodian for the cybersecurity firm Quick Heal's antivirus lineup, pointed out that the landscape of cybercrime has undergone significant evolution. "Cyber criminals today are not operating manually; they are using AI to automate attacks. They are using artificial intelligence to actually conduct these attacks. It's so sophisticated in nature that the best of the best fall prey to it," she noted. This automation allows them to bypass traditional security measures, making it challenging for even the most robust systems to defend ..

Digital arrest and Rs 7 crore heist: How Vardhman Group head was tricked

The fraudsters used fake court orders and impersonated the Chief Justice of India to convince Oswal he was part of a money laundering investigation

Vi partners with Nokia to enhance network security against cyber threats

The telecom sector is a prime target for cyber threats due to the large amounts of sensitive data it stores, such as credit card details and social security numbers

Over 29,000 Indians missing in SE Asia; trapped in cyber slavery: Report

Many victims are believed to have been lured with promises of high-paying jobs, only to be trapped in cyber fraud schemes in what is being described as 'cyber slavery'

Star Health sues Telegram after hacker uses app chatbots to leak data

Star Health has sued Telegram and a hacker for leaking sensitive data via chatbots on the platform, which has recently been under increased scanner for its policies

India launches online 'suspect registry', 1.4 mn listed for financial fraud

Around 4.78 million cyber complaints involving 171.3 million victims have been filed to date, including cases of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with 17,000 FIRs registered for CSAM-related crimes

Centre to train 5,000 Cyber Commandos over next 5 years: Amit Shah

Under the 'Cyber Commandos' program, the Centre will establish a specialised unit of trained 'Cyber Commandos' across States and Union territories

Delhi court grants bail to 9 persons accused in $15 mn cyberfraud case

In July this year, the CBI arrested 43 accused people from a Gurugram call centre in connection with the case

Security agencies detect phishing fraud that mimics MoD's official website

Indian cyber-security agencies have detected a phishing fraud that "mimics" the official website of the Ministry of Defence to "harvest" the log-in credentials of officials to "steal" sensitive government documents. An advisory issued this week by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has identified two phishing links -- mod.gov.in.aboutcase.nl/publications.html and mod.gov.in.army.aboutcase.nl/publications.html. The communication has been accessed by PTI and it says both the URLs seek NIC-provided log-in credentials of government officials through a fake e-mail that comes attached with a "fake" document titled "Hackers Targeted Defence Personnel in Mass Cyber Attack". Once individual credentials like log-in IDs and passwords are punched, the links re-direct the users to a "login-error.html" page. "Both the phishing URLs have mirrored the original MoD website (www.mod.gov.in) to lure end users into believing they are legitimate MoD websites," the communication says. The two links

SBI manager, gym trainer held in Rs 175 cr cyber fraud case in Telangana

Fraud uncovered after numerous complaints on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal

Indian banks spending less on cybersecurity than global peers, says BCG

Digital payment frauds saw a more than fivefold jump to Rs 1,460 crore ($175 million) in the year ended March 2024 from the previous year

Centre warns against fake letter seeking response over porn on devices

The fraudulent letter is currently circulating, falsely claiming to be from the agency and asserts that suspicious activity has been detected linked to a recipient's IP address

America faces many elevated threats 'all at once', says FBI director

The country is facing heightened threats from many corners at a time when law enforcement agencies are struggling, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in an exclusive interview, adding that he is hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once. Wray spoke Wednesday with The Associated Press while visiting the Minneapolis field office to talk about partnerships between law enforcement agencies and also with other entities. His remarks come as the FBI confronts heightened concerns over terrorism, both domestic and international, as well as Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft and foreign election interference. I worry about the combination of that many threats being elevated at once, with the challenges facing the men and women in law enforcement more generally, Wray said at the office in the suburb of Brooklyn Center. And the one thing that I think helps bridge those two challenges is partnerships. That's how w