Achive.php February 28, 2025 - The Cyber Shark
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Archives for February 28, 2025

Pig butchering scam: New cyber fraud targets unemployed youth, students, housewife’s

pig butchering scam

The government has issued an alert about a new cyber fraud scheme called the ‘pig butchering scam,’ which targets unemployed youth, students, and vulnerable individuals. Victims not only lose money but are also forced into cyber slavery.      NEW DELHI: The government has warned of a new cybercrime scheme known as the “pig butchering scam,” which preys on vulnerable people, students, and jobless youth. Victims not only lose money but are also forced into cyber slavery, officials said on 27 February 2025. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that this was also emphasized in their most recent annual report, which was released last month. They also mentioned that dishonest people and organizations have been observed using Google services platforms to commit these crimes. A senior official stated, “Reports from the cyber intelligence wing indicate that a new online fraud module, called ‘Pig Butchering Scam’ or ‘Investment Scam,’ has been observed circulating in cyberspace. It targets unemployed youths, housewives, students, and those in need, who are either tricked into losing large sums of money every day or lured into engaging in cyber slavery.” “The Google Ads platform offers a convenient way to post targeted ads from across the border,” he stated. the “Pig Butchering Scam” or the “Investment Scam,” this scam is a global phenomenon that involves widespread money laundering and even cyber slavery. According to sources, it is believed that this kind of scam began in China in 2016. They claimed that in these fraud modules, criminals prey on unsuspecting people, with whom they gradually gain trust, then persuade them to invest in cryptocurrency or another profitable scheme before embezzling the money they have earned. The fattening of pigs before their slaughter is the source of the comparison to pig butchering, according to the officials. According to the officials, cybercriminals use this fraud model to deceive victims by gaining their trust and then using them as slaves to commit various online crimes. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) within the MHA cooperated with Google to share threat intelligence for periodic prompt action to successfully deal with the danger when the trend became apparent, according to the officials. In addition to Google, the officials stated that sponsored Facebook links are being aggressively detected and shared with the social media platform for appropriate action. These connections are being used by hackers to initiate illicit financing applications in India.

Cyber Fraud Alert: ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam Defrauds Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University of Rs 14 Lakh, Case Filed

Berhampur University

She placed the money into the scammer’s account after the con artists sought Rs 14 lakh from Berhampur University VC to free her from “digital arrest.” Berhampur University (Odisha): Even if authorities are frequently aware of the dangers that exist in cyberspace, scammers continue to come up with new strategies to trick people. The most recent victim is Prof. Geetanjail Dash, the vice-chancellor of Berhampur University in Bhanja, Bihar, who was allegedly defrauded of Rs 14 lakh after becoming the victim of “digital arrest.” How VC Fell Prey To Cyber Criminals Police claim that Prof. Dash was tricked by cybercriminals posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) representatives. Subsequently, she was forced to believe that the ED was watching her because of an unreported cash deposit in a bank account in her name. The criminal, posing as an ED officer, called Prof. Geetanjail Dash on February 12. The scammer said that her Aadhaar number was discovered to be connected to a case of financial irregularities involving the payment of crores of rupees into her account, which the Supreme Court is currently investigating. Along with talking to her about her family, the unidentified caller advised her to empty her bank account before the audit. The Vice-Chancellor then allegedly revealed all of her details. The fraudster called her over the last four days and persuaded her to deposit a cheque for Rs 14 lakh. According to insiders, when the phone was turned off following the deposit, suspicion increased. The issue was brought to light following a complaint filed with the Berhampur University Cyber Police Station. Based on this, a case was filed on February 24 under several provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case was filed under BNS sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), 308(2), and 351(2) as well as IT Act sections 66(C) and 66(D), according to the police. What Berhampur SP Said Berhampur SP According to the complaint of Berhampur University VC Prof. Geetanjali Dash, a case was filed at the Cyber Police Station on February 24th, Saravana Vivek M said. On February 12, she claimed to have gotten a call from an unidentified number. The individual, posing as an ED officer, accused her of being involved in an ED case. She was informed that an account had been created in her name and that crores of illicit funds had been transferred into it. In the evening, she was held under digital arrest. She was asked to pay the accused offenders Rs 14 lakh for “release,” which she complied with and deposited into the scammer’s bank account. An investigation is underway, and the fraudsters in the case will be apprehended shortly. The top police official warned people not to answer unknown calls or give them personal information.”People should be aware of the cyber crimes happening around them and refrain from having contact with any such unknown person,” said the SP.