The Sanchar Saathi app is an extension of the Sanchar Saathi portal, launched by the government in May 2023
Weaponisation of biotechnology, sophisticated cyberattacks and the cost of investing in security are among challenges this year
India needs to repeat what it did for financial inclusion - launch a nationwide campaign -- to tackle cybercrime
Globally, manufacturing, construction and real estate, healthcare, tech and telecom, and financial services were the top affected sectors
Approximately Rs 9 crore was frozen in Delhi in connection with cyber frauds, with around Rs 2 crore released back to the victims in west district in 2024, an official said on Friday. "These efforts are part of an ongoing initiative to protect the public from cyber criminals, who exploit digital platforms for fraudulent activities," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer said. The officer further said the West district cyber police station has been operational since December 2021, securing victims' funds. Sharing details, the DCP said in 2024, the cyber police station resolved around 8,000 complaints. "During the entire year, 93 individuals were arrested or apprehended, with 22 from earlier cases and 71 from new incidents registered in 2024 alone," said the DCP. He said one of the key highlights of the year was the freezing of Rs 9.12 crore in fraudulent transactions. Victims of cyber crimes were also provided with guidance on how to apply for the release of their sto
Sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started conducting raids at eight locations across West Bengal on Thursday in connection with its probe into cyber frauds involving over Rs 1,000 crore in Tamil Nadu, a senior officer said. Raids are underway simultaneously at five places in Park Street, Salt Lake, and Baguihati areas in Kolkata and in three other locations in districts, he said. During the raid in Salt Lake area, the ED sleuths detained a person for questioning, the officer said. "Our officers are now conducting raids at a flat in a high-end residential complex in Baguihati," he told PTI. Several people based in states in eastern India have been found involved in the crime, he added.
In the first three months of 2024, there were a total of 43,797 complaints of cyber fraud related to WhatsApp, 22,680 against Telegram, and 19,800 regarding Instagram
A Reserve Bank report on Monday stressed increasing awareness about cyber frauds and efforts to identify mule accounts amid rising digital transactions. With the rise in digital transactions, the incidents of cyber frauds using novel modus operandi have increased in recent times, the December edition of the Financial Stability Report (FSR) released by the RBI said. "Considering the fact that the financial losses and emotional distress caused by these frauds are substantial, it is imperative that Regulated Entities (REs) undertake wide-scale preventive awareness initiatives to caution the public about such frauds and intensify efforts to identify mule accounts," it said. According to the RBI's Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2023-24, the number of bank frauds witnessed a significant year-on-year increase in the first half of the current fiscal to 18,461 cases and the amount involved jumped more than eight-fold to Rs 21,367 crore. The number of frauds during ...
The telecom department has ordered operators to play cyber crime awareness caller tune 8-10 times per day to telephone subscribers for three months. According to the order copy sent to the telecom operators, the caller tunes will be provided by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) -- a cyber crime wing under the Home Ministry. "In order to make the public aware about cybercrime through the caller tune campaign, it has been decided to play caller tune audios through pre-call announcement/ring back tone arrangement, which will be provided to TSPs by nodal officers of I4C. Caller tunes to a subscriber may be played about 8-10 times a day," the order dated December 18 said. The order asked telecom service providers (TSPs) to immediately take action on the order. "Different caller tunes related to cybercrime will be provided on a weekly basis for a period of three months," the order said. There has been a rise in the incidence of financial fraud through new scams like digita
With global fraud losses surging past $5 trillion annually-a staggering 56 per cent increase in the past decade-the demand for advanced fraud prevention has never been more critical
More than 59,000 people became victims of online trading frauds in Odisha during the last six years, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Assembly on Monday. In a written statement, Majhi said 769 online trading fraud cases were reported in the state between 2019 and November 2024 and 59,437 people were victims of such frauds. Most of the online trading fraud cases reported in 2023 and 2024. Altogether 190 cases involving cheating of 18,994 people were reported in 2023, while 40,270 people were cheated in 472 cases the next year, the chief minister said in question of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati. In 2023, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha police registered four online trading fraud cases against cyber criminals, who allegedly cheated 18,804 people, he said. Similarly, the EOW has registered three such cases in the current year, in which 40,219 people were cheated during online trading, Majhi said. Stating that steps have been taken to control online trad
Risks are going increase as the country adopts new technologies and becomes more digital
AI-driven and deepfake-enabled cyberattacks are anticipated to become increasingly prevalent in 2025 with sectors like healthcare and finance most prone targets, according to a recent report. The India Cyber Threat Report 2025 by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Seqrite, spotlighted the evolving tactics of cybercriminals and the rise of AI-driven attacks as a major concern. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used to develop highly sophisticated phishing campaigns utilising deepfake technology and personalized attack vectors, making them harder to detect. AI-driven malware will adapt in real-time to evade traditional security measures, while data poisoning attacks will compromise the integrity of critical AI systems in sectors such as healthcare and autonomous transportation," the report noted. Deepfake technology will create compelling malicious content, including fake video or audio messages from trusted sources. This will facilitate more effective social engineerin
A 90-year-old Gujarat man lost Rs 1 crore to fraudsters posing as CBI officers. Here's how you can protect yourself
An Enforcement Directorate team undertaking searches in a cyber fraud linked money laundering case was allegedly attacked here on Thursday, officials said. The agency has registered a police FIR about the incident that took place at a farmhouse that was raided by ED officials in the Bijwasan area of the national capital that falls under the Kapashera police station in southwest Delhi. An Enforcement Officer (EO) suffered minor injuries during the attack. He is continuing with the searches after he was given first aid, officials said. The probe pertains to a case against the PYYPL app. The alleged accused in the case, including Ashok Sharma and his brother, allegedly attacked the ED team. The situation is under control and searches are going on, the sources said. The search operations, according to sources, has been launched after the ED got inputs from the I4C and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) about cyber crimes like phishing, QR code cheating, part time job fraud leading
The Centre has blocked 6.69 lakh SIM cards and 1.32 lakh International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers reported by police authorities to check cyber crimes in the country, Rajya Sabha was informed Wednesday. In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the central government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers appearing to be originating within India. "Such international spoofed calls have been made by cyber criminals in recent cases of fake digital arrests, fedex scams and impersonation as government and police officials," the minister said. Directions have been issued to the TSPs for blocking of such incoming international spoofed calls, he said. "Till November 15, 2024, more than 6.69 lakh fake SIM cards and 1.32 lakh IMEIs as reported by police authorities have been blocked by the government of India," he ...
Stock trading scams emerged as the biggest culprit, with 228,094 complaints filed, incurring losses of Rs 4,636 crore
Previously, Star Health and Allied Insurance had to launch a forensic investigation, led by independent cybersecurity experts, into a cyberattack it was subjected to
The Ministry of Home Affairs has blocked over 17,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to digital arrest frauds, following an investigation that uncovered international cybercrime networks
An accountant of a company owned by Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta's was allegedly duped of Rs 2.08 crore by cyber frauds, police said on Saturday. On the complaint of Ritesh Srivastava, a case was registered on Thursday in the cyber police station against unidentified individuals under section 319 (2), 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, they said. Srivastava works for Icavo Agro Daily Private Limited, owned by the minister and managed by his son Abhishek Gupta. According to the complaint, Srivastava received a WhatsApp message on November 13 from a number displaying Abhishek's profile photo. The sender claimed it was a new number and sought sensitive financial information related to a proposed business meeting, the complainant said. Believing the message to be genuine, Sivastava shared the company's account details on that number following the instructions of the company's director, it ...