Page 3 - Cybercrimes

MHA warns of cybercriminals using 'mule' accounts for money laundering

The Union Home Ministry has issued an alert against illegal payment gateways created by transnational gangs of cybercriminals using mule bank accounts and are being used for facilitating money laundering, officials said on Monday. The gateways are created by transnational cybercriminals who provide money laundering services using accounts of shell companies and individuals, exploiting the bulk payout facility provided by banks, it said. Police in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh recently conducted nationwide raids which showed that cybercriminals have set up illegal digital payment gateways using rented bank accounts for laundering the proceeds of different crimes. "Some of the payment gateways identified during the operation are PeacePay, RTX Pay, PoccoPay, RPPay etc. These gateways are learnt to be providing money laundering as a service and are operated by foreign nationals," a government statement said. When information gathered by the state police was analysed by the Indian Cybercri

Quad nations to continue 'Quad Cyber Challenge' for good cyber ecosystem

India, the US, Australia and Japan have announced the continuation of 'Quad Cyber Challenge' with an aim to strengthen responsible cyber ecosystems, promote public resources, and raise cybersecurity awareness. The theme of this year's challenge is promoting cybersecurity education and building a strong workforce, the Quad countries said in a joint statement. In February 2023, the United States, together with its Quad partners Australia, India, and Japan, launched the 'Quad Cyber Challenge' to promote responsible cyber habits across their nations, regions, and beyond. In October with the objective of securing India's cyberspace, the National Cyber Security Coordinator of India will deliver a message on Cyber Swachhta Abhiyaan India's Cyber Hygiene Campaign to the student community highlighting the importance of cyber security as part of outreach during Cyber Security Awareness Month, the joint statement said. Eminent cyber security experts will undertake awareness workshops for ...

No one can arrest you through video calls: Digital arrest fraud on the rise

An employee of the Department of Atomic Energy was the victim of a digital arrest scam, losing Rs. 71 lakh to fraudsters

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 ..

US, Microsoft disrupt Russian hackers targeting officials, nonprofits

A hacking group tied to Russian intelligence tried to worm its way into the systems of dozens of Western think tanks, journalists and former military and intelligence officials, Microsoft and US authorities said Thursday. The group, known as Star Blizzard to cyberespionage experts, targeted its victims with emails that appeared to come from a trusted source a tactic known as spear phishing. In fact, the emails sought access to the victims' internal systems, as a way to steal information and disrupt their activities. Star Blizzard's actions were persistent and sophisticated, according to Microsoft, and the group often did detailed research on its targets before launching an attack. Star Blizzard also went after civil society groups, US companies, American military contractors and the Department of Energy, which oversees many nuclear programmes, the company said. On Thursday, a US court unsealed documents authorising Microsoft and the Department of Justice to seize more than 100 ...

CBI arrests 26 alleged cybercriminals involved in fraudulent activities

In a multi-state crackdown on organised cybercrime, the CBI has arrested 26 alleged cybercriminals involved in fraudulent activities targeting people globally, officials said on Monday. The action under operation Chakra-III started with raids at 32 different places across Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam late night last Thursday. The central agency has seized Rs 58.45 lakh cash, locker keys and three luxury vehicles, they said. Four call centres -- V.C. Inconformities Pvt. Ltd at Regent Plaza, Pune; V.C. Infrometrix Pvt. Ltd, Murli Nagar, Visakhapatnam; Viajex Solutions, Hyderabad; and Atriya Global Services Pvt. Ltd, Visakhapatnam -- were among the places raided by the agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intercepted 170 people engaged in live online criminal activities across the four call centers, the officials said. "The cybercriminals targeted in this operation were involved in a range of illicit activities, including impersonating... tech support ...

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

Cybercrime becoming major threat, need technical expertise for safety: MoS

Rai was speaking at the Dikshant Parade of the 76th batch of Regular Recruits of IPS at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) on Hyderabad outskirts

HM Amit Shah urges security agencies to use AI for checking cybercrimes

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday urged cybersecurity agencies to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify the modus operandi of criminals duping people of their hard-earned money, spreading fake news and abusing women and children online. India hosts around 46 per cent or almost half of global digital transactions, making the job of these agencies "challenging", he said while delivering a keynote speech during the first foundation day celebrations of the I4C or Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre here. The I4C, established in 2018, is a department under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is tasked with establishing a national-level coordination centre to address all cybercrime-related issues in the country. During the event, Shah launched four platforms of the I4C -- cyber fraud mitigation centre (CFMC), the 'Samanvaya' platform, a cyber commandos programme and a suspect registry. "I would urge you to use Artificial Intelligence to identify the MO (modus operandi) .

Philippine authorities detain over 160 people over cybercrime operation

Philippine authorities raided a suspected illegal online gaming and cyberscam complex in a central province and took into custody more than 160 people mostly Chinese and Indonesians who were committing internet-based crimes, officials said Sunday. The raid on Saturday by more than 100 government agents, backed by military intelligence, on a resort compound in Lapu-Lapu city was part of an ongoing crackdown after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a ban in July on widespread and mostly Chinese-run online gaming operations that cater mostly to clients in China, where illegal gambling is banned. Marcos said then that the massive illegal gambling operations have ignored Philippine laws with largescale violations of regulations and also committed other crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnappings and murder. The raid at the Tourist Garden Resort, which has 10 buildings with swimming pools, karaoke bars and restaurants, came after the Indonesian Embas

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

Average cost of data breaches in India hits $2.18 million: RBI report

BFSI sector, governed by well-defined regulations, is relatively protected from such attacks

Electricity bill scam: Delhi discoms urge consumers to follow safety tips

With the growing number of cyber fraud incidents targeting electricity consumers being reported in Delhi, power discoms have urged consumers to exercise caution and follow safety tips. "They (fraudsters) send messages claiming overdue payments and urging people to click on dubious links or call unfamiliar numbers. These links often lead to malware-infested websites, while the phone calls connect you to imposters posing as official representatives," a discom official said. Recently, a doctor in Delhi fell victim to a similar cyber fraud after clicking on a fake link supposedly to pay his electricity bill, losing Rs 6 lakh, discom officials said, adding that an increasing number of electricity bill scams are being reported from across the country. A spokesperson of BSES discoms -- BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) -- said that consumers need to remain vigilant and exercise caution while paying their electricity bills and use only bonafide ...

Sebi directs depository participants to take swift action against any fraud

WhatsApp groups from Hong Kong, Cambodia operated investment scams

What is 'digital house arrest'? Find out how to avoid this new scam

Digital house arrest - a new form of cybercrime - involves trapping victims in their homes to defraud them where criminals create fear by making audio or video calls, impersonating law enforcement off

Telcos to snap 1.8 million mobile connections in cybercrime crackdown

The government believes that telcos need to be more proactive in detecting usage patterns of SIMs, particularly those purchased outside home circles

Ranveer Singh files complaint after viral deepfake video endorsing Congress

In the now-viral deepfake video, Ranveer Singh was seen criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding issues of unemployment and inflation

India ranks number 10 in cybercrime, Russia tops list followed by Ukraine

India ranked number 10 in cybercrime, with frauds involving people to make advance fee payment being the most common type, according to a new research that surveyed cybercrime experts around the world. An international team of researchers has compiled the 'World Cybercrime Index' that ranks roughly 100 countries and identifies key hotspots according to various categories of cybercrime, including ransomware, credit card theft and scams. Russia topped the list, and was followed by Ukraine, China, the US, Nigeria and Romania. North Korea was at the seventh position, while the UK and Brazil were at the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, according to the research published in the journal PLoS ONE. Through the survey, the researchers asked the experts to consider major types of crime in the virtual world and nominate countries that they thought contributed significantly to each of them. The major categories that the researchers identified were - technical products and services suc

Russia, Ukraine breeding ground of highest number of cybercrimes: Survey

The survey stated that as many as 97 countries were named as being hubs for a particular category

Cambodia fake job scam explained: Over 5k Indians coerced into cybercrimes

The Indian Embassy has rescued 250 victims of illegal cyber work scam in Cambodia over the last three months. Here is everything you need to know about fake job scam