Cybercrimes

SC terms cyber crime as digital dacoity, refuses consolidation of cases

Terming cyber crime as "digital dacoity", the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to consolidate over 30 criminal complaints pending against two persons in 12 states for allegedly allowing the use of their company's account as a mule for commission of various offences. "Digital arrests and such cyber offences are digital dacoity there is no question of giving any judicial forum to such persons," a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said. Strongly condemning the organised cyber crime rackets targeting senior citizens through digital arrests, the CJI said those involved must face stringent action. "An 81-year-old from Ernakulam (Kerala) was defrauded of Rs 1.90 crore and his money was deposited in your mule account," the CJI said. "You decided to use the account of your company for cyber crime like digital arrest," the bench said while refusing to entertain the plea of Gourab Kumar Saha and Nidhi Bhandari. The bench refused to

Global cyberscams cost Americans billions as US recovery efforts lag

The US government isn't doing enough to fight the surge in cyberscams, and partnerships with the private sector remain fragmented and voluntary, an investigation into the global scam industry led by the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress has found. The government doesn't even have a unified accounting of how much money has been seized from overseas scam compounds, nor how much has been returned to victims, according to the report, released Tuesday by ranking Democrats Senator Maggie Hassan and Rep Don Beyer. Citing findings from a yearlong investigation into global scams by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE, the report called for greater collaboration across agencies, support for victims, and deeper private sector engagement. "Transnational criminal organisations run massive compounds that exploit US technology, including AI, to carry out scams against Americans with devastating consequences," Hassan said in an email. "The scale of this exponentially growing challenge ...

Kerala Police signs 3-year pact with Cyble to strengthen cybercrime probes

The three-year agreement will provide Kerala Police with threat intelligence, investigative support and officer training to tackle ransomware, phishing, AI-enabled fraud and other cyber threats

Russian-speaking cybercriminals hacked 7 firms using SpaceX's Cursor AI

The cybercriminals' AI-boosted hacking spree is the latest example of how rogue actors are using commercial AI tools to carry out intrusions.

Crime gangs snare more than $88 billion in scams in Asia-Pacific, UN says

The report estimated scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia ​and New Zealand between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion for 2025

'Digital platforms must implement prevention by design to prevent CSEAM'

Experts urge internet platforms to adopt prevention-by-design and stronger AI systems to curb child sexual exploitation material and improve online child safety

IT Ministry summons Meta executives over ads promoting CSAM in India

Meta executives meet IT ministry officials over WhatsApp username issue

Digital arrest and fear scams: Why educated users fall for cyber fraud

Digital arrest scams show how cybercriminals use fear, authority and urgency to make even educated and financially aware users ignore warning signs

Cybercrime complaints are easy to file. But why justice takes longer

India has made cybercrime reporting easier, but victims still face delays in FIRs, fund recovery and investigations. Here's what happens after a complaint is filed

Mule accounts decoded: The hidden banking layer behind cybercrime

Mule accounts have become a significant challenge for India's cybercrime enforcement agencies, as through these accounts the fraudsters move illicit funds through banks before detection

Why Tata Electronics' cyber breach could be a concern for Apple and Tesla

A ransomware group claims to have leaked over 200,000 Tata Electronics files, including documents linked to Apple and Tesla, raising fresh supply-chain security concerns

Ex-PM IK Gujral's son duped of ₹7.8 cr in online scam; ₹4 cr frozen

Former Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral was allegedly duped of Rs 7.8 crore after scammers impersonated him on an online messaging application and tricked his company's financial staff into transferring funds, police said on Thursday. Naresh Gujral, 78, is the son of the late Inder Kumar Gujral, who served as India's 12th prime minister from 1997 to 1998. An e-FIR in connection with the fraud was filed with the Delhi Police on Tuesday, prompting an investigation. According to police, the fraud occurred between June 12 and June 16. During this period, the scammers created an account on an online messaging platform using Naresh Gujral's display picture to impersonate him. They sent messages instructing one of his employees to transfer funds via Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to a specified bank account for what appeared to be urgent business-related purposes. Believing the instructions were legitimate, the employee, who had been given financial access by Gujral, executed four separat

'Bharat Bluff' shows how trust became one of the weakest links online

Bharat Bluff is filled with first-person accounts of scams that allow readers to comprehend the gravity of India's scam economy beyond data

Pulitzer Prize winners on the sinister world of cybercrime in India

Sharma and Anand, who have earned global recognition for their illustrated journalistic account, take Aditi Phadnis into the sinister world of cybercrime in India

White-collar crimes rise to 6% of IPC cases in 2024 despite overall dip

Overall crime dips in 2024, but economic offences and cybercrime rise above pre-Covid levels, signalling a shift in India's crime pattern

Maharashtra, UP among 10 high risk states leading in mule account cases

Other regions identified as major hotspots include Haryana, Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu

Financial cost of cyberattacks increasing, threatens national security

Digital attacks target critical infrastructure, prompt calls for more robust regulatory framework

Generative AI lowering costs, making cybercrime more efficient: GCA CEO

The GCA chief noted a disturbing trend in the volume and sophistication of digital crimes, which serves as a critical backdrop to the summit's focus on responsible AI

Cambodia crackdown exposes 'digital arrest' scam centre targeting Indians

Cambodian authorities have uncovered a scam centre featuring a fake Indian police station set-up, allegedly used by fraudsters to carry out "digital arrest" scams targeting victims in India

Digital fraud like 'robbery': Supreme Court asks Centre to frame SOPs

The Supreme Court observed that digital scams have caused losses exceeding ?52,000 crore for Indians, an amount larger than the annual budgets of some smaller states