cyber crime news

Bank official among four held for siphoning Rs 12 crore from Bengaluru firm’s accounts

“Cyber Crime Theory to Practice – A Comprehensive Guide for Law Enforcement. (8)

Investigations revealed the gang was transferring Rs 12.30 crore across multiple fraudulent accounts, with similar cases filed against them in 12 police stations across eight states. Bapatla police have arrested two cyber criminals who transferred over Rs 74 lakh into fraudulent accounts, with two main suspects still at large. The arrests were announced by Bapatla District Superintendent of Police (SP) Tushar Dudi during a press conference on 02-01-2025. The victim, G Sri Lakshmi Vara Prasad Rao, a retired professor from Chundur, reported the crime after unknown individuals falsely accused him of money laundering and siphoned Rs 74 lakh from his bank account. Police promptly froze the accounts and launched an investigation. Amid rising cybercrime cases, SP Dudi formed special teams led by IT Core Sub-Inspector (SP) Naib Rasool and Chundur Circle Inspector (CI) Srikanth. The teams traced the suspects to Rajasthan and Mumbai, arresting Ramesh (A3) and Shrawan Kumar (A4), both from Rajasthan, while the primary accused, Akash Kulhari and Sriva Prasad, remain at large. Investigations revealed the gang was involved in transferring Rs 12.30 crore across multiple fraudulent accounts, with similar cases filed against them in 12 police stations across eight States, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, Telangana, and Rajasthan. Ramesh and Shrawan are accused of transferring Rs 15 lakh and Rs 35 lakh, respectively, across several cases. Police seized Rs 7 lakh in cash, 24 ATM cards, and 11 checkbooks, and froze Rs 17.90 lakh in accounts linked to the suspects. The gang is believed to have defrauded victims of Rs 10 crore in 43 cases across 39 districts in 18 States, as recorded on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) portal. The SP warned the public about such cyber scams, clarifying that ‘digital arrests’ do not exist. He urged victims to immediately report cybercrimes by calling 1930. The SP commended the efforts of the IT core team, special squads, and police personnel in cracking the case, emphasizing ongoing efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects.

WhatsApp, the biggest social media platform misused by cyber criminals in India

“Cyber Crime Theory to Practice – A Comprehensive Guide for Law Enforcement. (9)

14,746 complaints were related to WhatsApp, 7,651 against Telegram, 7,152 against Instagram, 7,051 against Facebook, and 1,135 against YouTube till March 2024, says MHA report WhatsApp remains the biggest social media platform that is possibly misused by cyber criminals in India, according to the latest annual report of the Union Home Ministry. The data published in the report on “cybercrime complaints where Big Tech platforms have been misused” shows that 14,746 complaints were related to WhatsApp, 7,651 against Telegram, 7,152 against Instagram, 7,051 against Facebook, and 1,135 against YouTube till March 2024. “Big techs play an important role in proactive identification and action on cybercriminals. I4C has partnered with Google and Facebook for sharing intelligence and signals for proactive actions,” the report said. National Cybercrime Threat Analytical Unit (NCTAU) of I4C analyses the complaints reported on the portal and prepares analysis reports on the latest trends of cybercrime and misuse of services provided by service providers, it said. “These reports are shared with all the concerned stakeholders, i.e., banks, wallets, merchants, payments aggregators, payment gateways, e-commerce, and other departments to take preventive measures and mitigate the misuse of their platforms/services,” the report said. The Ministry has also rolled out a Cyber Volunteer Framework, which enables citizens to enroll as cyber volunteers for reporting unlawful content on the Internet, dissemination of cyber hygiene, and as cyber experts to aid law enforcement under which 54,833 volunteers had registered by March 31, 2024, according to the report. The Ministry’s integrated platform Citizen Financial Cyber Frauds Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), where all stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies of States/Union Territories, all major banks and financial intermediaries, payment wallets, crypto exchanges, and e-commerce companies, work in tandem. The platform ensures quick, decisive, and system-based effective action to prevent the flow of money from the victim’s account to the cyber fraudster’s account, and the seized money is restored to the victim following due legal process, it said. “Since its launch in April 2021, so far this platform has been able to save more than Rs 16 billion from going into the hands of fraudsters, and thus benefiting more than 5,75,000 victims,” it said.

Investment and courier frauds dominate among cyber crime cases registered in Mangaluru

“Cyber Crime Theory to Practice – A Comprehensive Guide for Law Enforcement. (3)

Out of the 42 persons arrested this year, 15 were from Karnataka, while 27 were from other states, including 11 from Kerala and nine from Tamil Nadu. Mangalore: Though the number of cybercrime cases reported was less due to effective preventive action and increased awareness among the public in Mangalore Commissioner ate limits, the year 2024 saw the largest financial impact, with over Rs 40.46 crore lost, Rs 9.32 crore frozen, and Rs 2.55 crore released to the complainant, said Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal. Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal said that the year 2023 saw a significant rise in the number of cases registered at Cybercrimes, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station, while other Police Stations experienced a steady increase every year. In 2023, CEN police station had 196 in 2023, and 62 in 2024. Other police stations registered 120 cybercrime cases during the same period, with eight cases in 2022, and 40 in 2023. He said that investment frauds accounted for 50 per cent of the reported cases and approximately 75 per cent of the total amount lost. A total of 67 cases with Rs 30.3 crore lost was reported during the year followed by digital arrest scams involving courier and customs with 25 cases and losses of Rs 7.1 crore. Job frauds accounted for eight cases, cases, resulting in loss of Rs 1.2 crore, while matrimonial frauds saw four cases with Rs 60.4 lakh lost. Online shopping frauds caused losses of Rs 5.9 lakh across three cases, and share market frauds resulted in Rs 41.96 lakh loss in five cases. Additionally, advertisement fraud accounted for Rs 50,000 in losses, KYC fraud caused Rs 8.35 lakh in losses, and other frauds collectively led to a loss of Rs 63.28 lakh, he explained. About 5,498 complaints were reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal, of which 215 were converted into FIRs. On the detection of cases, the commissioner said that the detected cases saw a sharp increase in 2023, particularly at other police stations, with a steady rise in Cybercrimes, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) police stations in 2024. Out of the 42 persons arrested this year, 15 were from Karnataka, while 27 were from other states, including 11 from Kerala and nine from Tamil Nadu. A total of 217 awareness programmer were conducted across the jurisdiction. A comprehensive campaign to combat cybercrime has been launched, focusing on raising awareness and prevention among all sections of society. Programmer were conducted at various levels: Police Station level, beat level, Sub-division level, and Commissioner ate level, ensuring widespread reach, he added.

Resecurity Joins FutureCrime Summit 2025 as Platinum Partner

“Cyber Crime Theory to Practice – A Comprehensive Guide for Law Enforcement. (1)

Resecurity, a global leader in threat intelligence solutions, has joined the Future Crime Summit 2025 as a Platinum Partner. The Summit, scheduled for 13-14 February 2025 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, is India’s premier international conference on cybercrime. Resecurity: Empowering Organizations Against Cyber Threats In an era where cyber threats are growing more sophisticated by the day, Resecurity is at the forefront of keeping organizations, governments, and law enforcement agencies secure. They offer cutting-edge solutions in: Cyber Threat Intelligence: With their Context platform, Resecurity accelerates threat detection and investigation, turning intelligence into action. Digital Risk Monitoring: Their Risk™ platform helps organizations stay ahead of vulnerabilities by tracking Dark Web activity, data breaches, and more. Endpoint Protection: By reinforcing enterprise security perimeters, Resecurity ensures critical assets and services remain safe. Digital Forensics and Intelligence Services: Their tailored investigations and 24×7 proactive monitoring help uncover and eliminate cyber threats. At the heart of Resecurity’s mission is a commitment to enabling enterprises and governments to combat even the most complex cyber threats with confidence. About FutureCrime Summit 2025 Organized by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), the Summit brings together global thought leaders, industry experts, and innovators to tackle challenges in cybersecurity, digital forensics, fraud risk management, and regulatory compliance. With over 100 distinguished speakers and 1,500 delegates attending the 2024 edition, the 2025 event promises even greater impact and collaboration. Past Speakers of Excellence The FutureCrime Summit has hosted luminaries such as: Lt Gen MU Nair – National Cybersecurity Coordinator, MeitY Dr. Gulshan Rai – Former National Cybersecurity Coordinator, Ex-DG CERT-IN Justice Talwant Singh – Former Judge, Delhi High Court Abhishek Singh, IAS – Addl. Secretary, MeitY, CEO Karmayogi Bharat Dr. Sanjay Bahl – DG, CERT-IN Collaborate and Innovate The Summit serves as a launchpad for cutting-edge solutions, collaborations, and partnerships. Organizations interested in exhibiting their innovations, sponsoring the event, or launching products can connect with FCRF at research@futurecrime.org. About FCRF The Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) is an IIT Kanpur’s AIIDE-CoE incubated non-profit focused on cybersecurity, cyber forensics, and fraud risk management. With a mission to make India digitally aware and cyber-safe, FCRF fosters knowledge, capacity building, and skills across industries, governments, and society. Be part of Future Crime Summit 2025—where the world’s foremost experts gather to shape the future of cybersecurity.

Promises of high returns on cryptocurrency investment makes Pune man lose Rs 9 lakh in cyber fraud

Using a fake social media profile of a British national settled in Noida with family business in Singapore, cyber criminals duped a Pune pharmacist of over Rs 9 lakh by manipulating him to invest in cryptocurrency with promises of very high returns. Earlier this week, a 30-year-old pharmacist, a resident of Bhor taluka, registered a complaint at Bhor police station under Pune rural police. A few days ago, he connected with a woman on Facebook, who identified herself as a British national currently settled in Noida. As the complainant started chatting, the ‘woman’ shared her international WhatsApp number. Sometime later, she said that she was going to Singapore where her family has a business. The woman sometimes spoke with the complainant on audio calls and frequently sent her photos to him. A while later, she told him that she had found a very good investment opportunity in cryptocurrency promising very high returns. Initially reluctant to make any investment, the complainant was persuaded and manipulated by the woman into sending money by sharing fake screenshots of profits earned by her. He was made to register on a fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange before being asked to send money. The complainant was asked to send money to certain bank accounts and the fraudulent exchange showed high corresponding earnings. The woman he had been in contact with was giving him instructions on sending money. Against investment of Rs 2.95 lakh, the fraudulent application showed returns of Rs 22 lakh, said police. ‘50% Singapore govt tax’ When the complainant sought to withdraw the money, he was asked to pay Rs 11 lakh as 50 per cent tax to the Singapore government against his earnings. When the complainant told the woman he did not have that amount, she told him to send as much possible. He ended up sending Rs 6.27 lakh and again asked for the women’s help in getting his earnings. It was at this point that the woman went incommunicado and the complainant realised that he had been cheated. He approached the Pune rural police and an FIR was registered on 23- 12-2024. A probe has been launched by Bhor police. In a similar case reported last year, a city-based software engineer connected with a woman named Elizabeth who claimed she was in a winery business and cryptocurrency trading. The victim, who had been investing in bitcoins for some time, was offered tutorials on crypto trading to earn high profits. Over a period of 10 days from the beginning of their interaction, the victim ended up investing over 40,600 Tether cryptocurrency (referred to as USDT) equivalent to over Rs 33 lakh in a fake cryptocurrency exchange. While the exchange website kept reflecting high returns on each of the investments, when he tried withdrawing, it became evident that the exchange did not exist. Risks of crypto investment frauds flagged Cyber investigators in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have urged people not to fall prey to fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms to which victims are often lured through deceptive social media advertisements, fake social media profiles, or phone messenger groups. Cyber investigators have suggested that the investors should use only trusted and known cryptocurrency exchanges and have stressed that investors specifically do research on the names of these cryptocurrency exchanges and check if they use similar sounding names as that of known platforms.

Cyber gang dupes people using Bhopal top cop’s fake Facebook profile, 6 arrested

The accused revealed they used a fake profile, using a picture of IPS officer Harinarayanachari Mishra, befriending people associated with his real Facebook profile. The Bhopal Police on Tuesday arrested four individuals from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh and two from Alwar in Rajasthan for cheating people through fake Facebook profiles by impersonating the Bhopal Police Commissioner. The incident came to light when the Cyber Crime Branch received a complaint from Mahesh Kumar, a Bhopal resident, on November 5, 2024. In his complaint, Kumar stated that he had received a message on Facebook Messenger offering lucrative deals on old furniture. The message was sent by a user named ‘Hari Narayan,’ whose profile picture featured the Bhopal Police Commissioner, Hari Narayanchari Mishra.Believing the offer to be genuine, Kumar unsuspectingly transferred Rs 45,000 via a QR code sent to him on Messenger. Based on the complaint, a case was registered for cheating and dishonesty and cheating by personation under Sections 318 (4) and 319 (2) of the BNS. After tracking the number used to create the fake Facebook ID, the cyber cell tracked the fraudsters in Alwar and was subsequently picked up by a cybercrime unit. After probing them further, the police managed to track the rest of the gang, arresting four, including the kingpin, Akash Namdeo, from Vidisha district. During the course of the investigation, the accused revealed that they used a fake profile with the picture of IPS officer Harinarayanachari Mishra, befriending people associated with his real Facebook profile. The accused used to send pictures of expensive furniture to people, quoting cheaper prices in a bid to lure them. They used to cheat people by transferring money to fake bank accounts. Namdeo, a resident of Lateri in Vidisha district, used to fraudulently activate SIM cards. The police have also arrested Rahul Panthi, Vivek Raghuvanshi and Sonu, who used to sell SIM cards to other members of the gang.

Italy Fines OpenAI €15 Million for ChatGPT GDPR Data Privacy Violations

Italy’s data protection authority has fined ChatGPT maker OpenAI a fine of €15 million ($15.66 million) over how the generative artificial intelligence application handles personal data. The fine comes nearly a year after the Garante found that ChatGPT processed users’ information to train its service in violation of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The authority said OpenAI did not notify it of a security breach that took place in March 2023, and that it processed the personal information of users to train ChatGPT without having an adequate legal basis to do so. It also accused the company of going against the principle of transparency and related information obligations toward users. “Furthermore, OpenAI has not provided for mechanisms for age verification, which could lead to the risk of exposing children under 13 to inappropriate responses with respect to their degree of development and self-awareness,” the Garante said. Besides levying a €15 million fine, the company has been ordered to carry out a six-month-long communication campaign on radio, television, newspapers, and the internet to promote public understanding of how ChatGPT works. This specifically includes the nature of data collected, both user and non-user information, for the purpose of training its models, and the rights that users can exercise to object, rectify, or delete that data. “Through this communication campaign, users and non-users of ChatGPT will have to be made aware of how to oppose generative artificial intelligence being trained with their personal data and thus be effectively enabled to exercise their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),” the Garante added. Italy was the first country to impose a temporary ban on ChatGPT in late March 2023, citing data protection concerns. Nearly a month later, access to ChatGPT was reinstated after the company addressed the issues raised by the Garante. In a statement shared with the Associated Press, OpenAI called the decision disproportionate and that it intends to appeal, stating the fine is nearly 20 times the revenue it made in Italy during the time period. It further said it’s committed to offering beneficial artificial intelligence that abides by users’ privacy rights. The ruling also follows an opinion from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) that an AI model that unlawfully processes personal data but is subsequently anonymized prior to deployment does not constitute a violation of GDPR. “If it can be demonstrated that the subsequent operation of the AI model does not entail the processing of personal data, the EDPB considers that the GDPR would not apply,” the Board said. “Hence, the unlawfulness of the initial processing should not impact the subsequent operation of the model.” “Further, the EDPB considers that, when controllers subsequently process personal data collected during the deployment phase, after the model has been anonymised, the GDPR would apply in relation to these processing operations.” Earlier this month, the Board also published guidelines on handling data transfers outside non-European countries in a manner that complies with GDPR. The guidelines are subject to public consultation until January 27, 2025. “Judgements or decisions from third countries authorities cannot automatically be recognised or enforced in Europe,” it said. “If an organisation replies to a request for personal data from a third country authority, this data flow constitutes a transfer and the GDPR applies.”

CERT-In Designated as Cyber Forensic Laboratory Authorized as an ‘Examiner of Electronic Evidence’

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has been notified as the country’s first Cyber Forensic Laboratory under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. This recognition, granted under Section 79A of the IT Act (Amendment 2008), establishes CERT-In as an Examiner of Electronic Evidence, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey towards robust digital forensics. Role of CERT-In as a Cyber Forensic Lab The notification designates CERT-In as a key authority to examine and provide expert opinions on electronic evidence, a crucial component in addressing: Legal disputes Criminal investigations Digital fraud cases By integrating state-of-the-art forensic tools and methodologies, CERT-In will play a vital role in supporting law enforcement agencies and judicial systems to resolve complex cases involving electronic evidence. Scope of Forensic Expertise CERT-In’s expanded role as a cyber forensic lab allows it to handle a wide range of digital evidence, including: Computer Forensics: Analyzing data stored in computers and storage devices. Drone Forensics: Extracting and examining data from drone storage systems. Mobile Forensics: Recovering and analyzing evidence from smartphones and other mobile devices. CCTV Forensics: Investigating video footage from surveillance systems. Cloud Forensics: Handling evidence stored or transmitted through cloud environments. Media Recovery: Retrieving deleted or corrupted files from digital storage. Importance of the Recognition This recognition is expected to significantly strengthen: Credibility of electronic evidence in courts, ensuring legal admissibility. Prosecution of cybercrimes, including financial fraud, data breaches, and hacking. Confidence of law enforcement agencies in resolving digital crime cases. Significance of Section 79A of the IT Act Section 79A empowers the government to notify agencies to act as examiners of electronic evidence. This ensures that electronic records, such as computer data, videos, and mobile evidence, meet the necessary standards of legal admissibility. A Step Towards a Cyber-Secure Future The designation of CERT-In as India’s first cyber forensic lab aligns with the government’s broader goal of building a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem. With its enhanced capabilities, CERT-In is equipped to: Handle the rising complexities of cyber incidents. Provide swift and precise analysis of electronic evidence. Strengthen the rule of law in the digital age.

CA arrested with 16 others for alleged involvement in Rs 1.13 crore investment fraud

Accused include a private bank official in the Nagerbazar branch who allegedly helped the racketeers open mule accounts. A chartered accountant (CA) from Siliguri who had recently shifted to Dubai and was allegedly running an investment fraud from there has been arrested with 16 others, police said. The accused include a private bank official in the Nagerbazar branch who allegedly helped the racketeers open mule accounts. The chartered accountant (CA) and six others were arrested at a star hotel in the city, another six at an office in south Calcutta and two others in Bihar, said officers in the state cyber-crime wing. Additional director-general of police, cyber-crime, H.K. Kusumakar, said 17 persons were arrested in Calcutta and Muzaffarpur as part of an investigation into a ₹1.13 crore investment fraud reported by a city doctor to the Bidhannangar commissionerate. The complainant was persuaded to download a fake app from a phishing website replicating the site of a wealth management company. The police said the swindlers would lure people through phishing emails and convince them to invest in “lucrative” schemes. “The money would be transferred through multiple bank accounts opened across the country using fake documents. So far, we have obtained details of more than 700 mule accounts used by the gang in 1,530 cases reported from 29 states involving a fraud amount of ₹250 crore,” said an officer.