Online Frauds

CERT-In warns of 'GhostPairing' targeting Indian WhatsApp users: What is it

CERT-In has flagged a high-severity WhatsApp account takeover technique that exploits device linking to give attackers silent access without passwords or SIM swaps

I-T department sends SMS, emails warning of bogus political donation claims

The Income Tax department has started sending SMS and email advisories to taxpayers for wrongful deduction claims related to unrecognised political parties or charitable institutions, the finance ministry said on Saturday. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said through data analysis it has observed that huge amount of bogus claims have been made on account of donation to Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) or Charitable Institutions and reduced their tax obligations and have also claimed bogus refunds. "A targeted NUDGE campaign has been launched as a taxpayer-friendly measure, providing them opportunity to update their ITRs and withdraw wrong claims, if any. SMSs and Email advisories are being issued from 12th December 2025 to such taxpayers on their registered mobile numbers and emails," the finance ministry said in a statement. The CBDT said that evidence gathered from enforcement actions indicated that RUPPs, many of which were non-filers, non-operational at

Digital advertising fraud now mimics humans too well, says report

A new study says digital ad fraud has tripled in sophistication, with as much as 45% of seemingly valid programmatic traffic failing deeper checks

'Sanchar Saathi is optional, user can delete it': Govt issues clarification

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that Sanchar Saathi is optional, following uproar over the government mandate asking phone makers to pre-install the app to help curb cyber fraud

What is Sanchar Saathi app and why govt wants it on every mobile phone?

The government mandated all manufacturers to ensure that the government's Sanchar Saathi mobile application is pre-installed on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India

Airtel MD urges users to shift to its Payments Bank amid cyber fraud surge

Airtel MD Gopal Vittal has advised users to shift routine digital payments to Airtel Payments Bank, noting that keeping all transactions linked to one main account increases fraud vulnerability

Digital arrest hardest fraud threat, Google can't fix it alone: Kotsovinos

Digital arrest scams are the toughest fraud challenge today, calling for ecosystem-wide action as deepfakes and AI-driven impersonation make tracking and prevention more complex, says Kotsovinos

Fighting the fraud: Google plans to roll out anti-spam pop-ups soon

Google is piloting on-screen fraud warnings, real-time scam call detection and a SIM-based verification system to replace SMS OTPs as part of new safety features

SBI chief pitches for national financial grid to check digital frauds

It will be a dedicated intelligence infra company that will enable real-time intel sharing among banks and other financial-sector participants to strengthen customer protection against digital frauds

90% Indians exposed to fake endorsements in 2025: Deepfake Deception List

A new McAfee report warns that deepfake-driven celebrity endorsement scams are rising sharply in India, exposing millions to fake ads, manipulated videos, and phishing traps

Frauds per transaction rising, says RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar

He said that in a truly competitive market, banks might have sought to recover these additional costs from fintechs, but doing so could have slowed the pace of technological adoption.

High returns, higher risk: Mumbai Police flags 'COSTA App Saving' scam

COSTA App Saving promised unusually high returns on deposits, investors complain after fraud

Your credit is easier to steal than your money: How online lending works

A simple 'Buy now, pay later' click can trigger a full loan without consent. Weak verification, no alerts, and instant disbursals are fuelling identity fraud in India's digital lending ecosystem

Myanmar detains over 10K foreigners in online scam centre crackdown

Last month, the US sanctioned several companies in Shwe Kokko, a major scam hub it said is controlled by an ethnic armed group allied with the junta

Meta unveils new anti-fraud tools across WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook

Meta launches anti-scam tools on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, plus digital safety workshops to help senior citizens avoid online fraud across India

Celebrate and shop safely: NPCI's 5 tips for secure festival payments

With festival sales in full swing, NPCI shares 5 simple tips to keep your digital payments safe and avoid scams while shopping online.

SC flags rising digital arrest scams: What they are and how to stay safe

The court took notice of such frauds after a senior citizen couple from Haryana reported losing ₹1.5 crore between September 1 and 16

Digital arrests: Inside India's biggest scam and how to tackle it

Damage caused by the rise of the digital-arrest con, which has found fertile ground amid the country's soaring youth unemployment, endemic corruption and glaring wealth inequality, runs deep and wide

RBI Governor warns of rising digital frauds, urges fintechs to build trust

Malhotra also said the central bank is conceptualising "Unified Market Interface" as a new next-generation financial market infrastructure

Sebi flags 100k misleading social media posts amid investor scams

Sebi identified over 100,000 unlawful social media posts in 18 months, unveiling new tools to curb scams and boost investor awareness across India