Cyber Updates Archives - The Cyber Shark

Haryana Police Flags 91 Bank Branches for Suspected Cybercrime Involving ‘Mule Accounts’

As part of its campaign against cybercrime, the Chandigarh, Haryana Police have located 91 bank branches in the state where they believe cybercriminals are using “mule accounts” to conduct large-scale transactions. Among these, 26 branches are in Gurugram and 24 in Nuh district, officials said on 19 August 2025. After identifying these branches, police teams have started a phased verification, inspection, and legal action, according to an official statement. To determine whether bank employees’ carelessness or collusion is aiding cybercriminals, special teams from the Cyber Crime Wing are thoroughly reviewing the records of these branches. According to the statement, “the teams are scrutinising lapses in KYC compliance, procedural violations in account opening, the role of bank employees, and any sign of negligence.” Raids were carried out in the districts of Karnal and Yamunanagar on 19 August as part of the drive, during which time suspicious accounts were investigated and bank records were carefully reviewed. Teams from the Cyber Crime Wing located a current account belonging to a company in Yamunanagar that was formally closed in March but that subsequently carried out transactions totalling ₹43 lakh. The statement added that eight complaints have been filed against this account nationwide. In just three months, transactions totalling ₹2 crore were made on another current account that was discovered to have been opened on a fictitious address. 33 complaints have been made against this account nationwide. “Account holders’ and the relevant bank employees’ roles are being scrutinised… This will not be a two-district operation. In the days ahead, other questionable bank branches will also be the target of similar raids, the statement said. On August 19, Shatrujeet Kapur, the head of Haryana Police, announced that a strong, multifaceted plan had been developed to combat cybercrime. According to him, this entails rigorous branch monitoring, prompt investigation of questionable transactions, frequent raids, and ensuring that banking laws are followed. The DGP emphasised how important it is to keep citizens’ hard-earned money out of the hands of cybercriminals. He emphasised that bank officials and cyber nodal officers are held accountable because banks share equal responsibility with the police. Cybercriminals frequently impersonate bank employees, law enforcement officers, government agents, or representatives of reputable businesses to make fraudulent calls, send dubious links, or fool people into downloading dubious apps, according to Inspector General, Cyber Shibas Kabiraj. “Citizens must never share their OTP, ATM PIN, UPI PIN, passwords, or personal documents like Aadhaar and PAN in such situations, nor scan any unknown link or QR code,” he stated. According to Kabiraj, banks and government organisations never call to request sensitive information or money transfers. “People need to be aware of new scams like ‘digital arrests,’ in which con artists use video calls to threaten victims while pretending to be law enforcement officers—something that no real police or agency ever does.”

Google rolls out budget-friendly Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite, opens 2.5 Flash and Pro to all

New model offers high-speed, low-cost performance; Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro now open to all users. Google has launched a new AI model, Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite, on June 18, 2025, making it the fastest and most affordable in the Gemini 2.5 series. Available via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, it supports multimodal tasks with low latency and cost, catering to developers and enterprise users who require scalable AI solutions. The Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite is designed for high-volume, latency-sensitive tasks such as translation, classification, and reasoning, offering improved performance over its predecessor, the 2.0 Flash-Lite. Google claims it delivers superior accuracy in coding, science, and multimodal benchmarks while being cost-efficient. Despite being a “lite” version, it includes advanced features such as a 1 million-token context window, tool integration (like Google Search and code execution), and flexible compute scaling based on budget. Google has also announced the general availability of Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro, previously limited to select users. Firms like Snap and SmartBear have already integrated them into their production systems with success. These models are now accessible via Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, and the Gemini app, expanding usage beyond developers to general users through tools like Search. Quote: “Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite is designed to bring scalable, affordable, and high-performance AI to everyone — from individual developers to large enterprises,” said a Google spokesperson in the launch statement. Advice: Google’s move to open Gemini 2.5 models, especially the new Flash-Lite, offers a powerful AI toolkit for cost-conscious developers and businesses. Its lightweight design doesn’t compromise capability, making it ideal for fast, real-world deployment. Tips for AI users: Choose models based on task latency and cost requirements Explore Google AI Studio or Vertex AI for hands-on testing Use Flash-Lite for rapid classification, translation, and large prompt processing Review Google’s documentation to integrate AI efficiently and securely

Cyber sexual predator arrested in Karnataka after a two-year manhunt

The accused created fake profiles, shared explicit content, and targeted women using over 90 email IDs and 13,500 stolen images. A 25-year-old man from Karnataka’s Ballari area was caught by Mumbai Police after he had eluded detection for two years. He had been harassing and defaming women online by posing as them, making phoney profiles, and posting sexual material. His arrest was made in Sandur following a complaint filed by a Mumbai-based student. When authorities found the culprit, Shubham Kumar Manoj Prasad Singh, he was employed in Sandur as a security guard. A female student in Mumbai filed a complaint after discovering pornographic content uploaded under her identity, sparking the start of the criminal probe. Shubham allegedly made more than 90 email accounts and more than ten phoney social media identities to harass and mimic women. Police recovered a massive cache of over 13,500 images of women, many obtained without consent, stored on his mobile phone. He used video calls to trap women, then edited and circulated the footage on social media, according to investigators. His digital trail was traced through technical inputs from Google, leading to his location. A senior cyber officer stated, “This arrest highlights the dangerous reach of digital predators and the need for public vigilance online.” The accused holds a diploma from Delhi and had managed to avoid arrest for over two years while continuing his activities in secrecy. Advice: The growing danger of cyber sexual offences and the pressing necessity for understanding digital safety are highlighted by this instance. Mumbai Police are continuing their investigation to identify more victims. Online Safety Tips: Never share personal videos or sensitive content online Enable two-factor authentication on social media accounts Report impersonation or harassment immediately on cybercrime.gov.in Be cautious of suspicious friend requests and video calls from strangers

Facebook Sextortion: Retired Man Loses ₹38 Lakh to Online Fraud

A police investigation is ongoing after cybercriminals used the fear of a POCSO case to extort money by pretending to be a lady and then the police. A 70-year-old retired government employee in Hyderabad fell victim to a sextortion scam on Facebook, losing ₹38.73 lakh. The Cybercrime Police received a notification about the fraud this week, and they have opened an investigation and are looking into it. Police claim that the victim accepted a friend request on Facebook from someone pretending to be a lady. She requested ₹10,000 for a Wi-Fi connection, claiming to come from a low-income household. Over time, the fraudsters extracted ₹10 lakh under the pretext of medical treatment. Later, the scammers posed as police officers and sub-inspectors, accusing him of chatting inappropriately with a minor girl. They threatened to file a POCSO case unless he paid more money. The man paid several payments totalling ₹38.73 lakh out of fear of legal issues. When he realised it was a fraud, he went to the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police, who are currently looking into it. Advice: This example serves as a clear reminder of how online fraud uses fear-mongering and emotional manipulation. Security Tips for Users: Never trust unknown friend requests on social media Avoid sharing personal or financial details online Do not engage in private chats with strangers If threatened online, report immediately to cybercrime.gov.in Consult family or police before making any online payments

Google Launches AI Safety Charter to Combat Rising Cybercrime Threats in India

With 60 million threats blocked and ₹5 million pledged, Google partners with Indian agencies and IIT-Madras to secure the digital future In India’s rapidly growing digital space, hackers are increasingly targeting users with sophisticated scams, including fake banking apps and phishing attacks. This week, Google revealed new efforts under its AI-led “Safety Charter” to detect and stop such scams in real-time through artificial intelligence. The goal: to protect Indian users and institutions from cyber fraud and data theft. Google is leveraging AI to block scams before they impact users. According to Preeti Lobana, Google India’s Country Manager, the company has already: Prevented 60 million attempts to install malicious applications Flagged 500 million scam messages Marked 12 million fake listings on Google Maps Issued 2.5 billion warnings for suspicious URLs Financial frauds now account for 75% of cybercrimes, with global cybercrime costs estimated to reach $14 trillion by 2028. To tackle this, Google has introduced a three-pronged AI Charter focused on: User safety Enterprise and government cybersecurity Responsible and ethical AI development In addition to deploying advanced AI tools, Google is collaborating with Indian authorities such as the Department of Telecommunications, the Home Ministry, and SEBI for centralised intelligence sharing. Google.org also announced a $5 million expansion of the APAC Cybersecurity Fund via The Asia Foundation, enabling cyber clinics and training in Indian universities, especially for MSMEs and students. Meanwhile, a new partnership with IIT-Madras aims to push forward Post-Quantum Cryptography, securing future digital interactions through anonymous, privacy-first tokens. According to Lobana, “AI systems are always evolving to detect new threats—even those that haven’t been seen before.” Additionally, Heather Adkins, Google Security’s VP of Engineering, said: “AI isn’t just narrowing the gap between attackers and defenders—it’s eliminating it in some cases.” Advice: Google’s AI-driven defence strategies signal a major leap in protecting India’s digital users. But while tech giants act, user vigilance remains essential. Security Tips for Users: Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for every application. Never click on unknown links in emails or communications. Download apps only from official stores Report cybercrimes at cybercrime.gov.in Stay updated with Google’s Safety Centre and CERT-In alerts

Maharashtra Cyber Corporation was formed to audit govt and Pvt. Firms’ preparedness for fraud

The Maharashtra government has transformed its Cyber Command Center into the Maharashtra Cyber Corporation to strengthen cybersecurity readiness. It will audit and guide government and private firms on cyber fraud prevention. On April 1, 2025, the Maharashtra government formally transformed its Maharashtra Cyber Corporation Command Center into a cyber corporation that will investigate the state’s overall readiness for cyber security. It will serve as a guide for public and commercial organizations, as well as government departments, on safe cyber practices and cyber security. At a cabinet meeting last month, the idea to turn the MMaharashtra Cyber Corporation Police into a company was accepted. Maharashtra Cyber, which operated off of a floor at Cuffe Parade, received an upgrade last year when the state government invested Rs 838 crore and gave it the entire Mahape building in Navi Mumbai. An official added, “We will be guiding government and private companies in matters of cyber security. To make sure they don’t become victims of cyber fraud, this will be done. Private businesses will be subject to yearly audits and need to adhere to the security protocols established by the Corporation. According to the Government Resolution, the state government will own all of the corporation when it is formed under the Companies Act. The Corporation’s authorized share capital will be Rs 200 crore. The entire paid-up and subscribed share capital will come from the state government. This will cover the corporation’s first year’s necessary administrative costs, and any further administrative costs will be covered by the corporation’s revenue, the GR stated.

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