The investigation into the death of a student at a private dental college in Kannur, Kerala, has been handed over to the state Crime Branch following allegations of harassment and a statewide protest.
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested eight individuals and taken action against three minors in connection with nine FIRs related to online harassment, fake social media profiles, objectionable content circulation, and blackmail. The arrests were made under "Mission Cyber Rakshika," an initiative focused on protecting women from cyber-stalking and abuse.
A 57-year-old woman in Kozhikode allegedly lost Rs 1.35 crore to cyber fraudsters who posed as Mumbai Crime Branch officers. They threatened her with criminal cases and coerced her into transferring money for "verification" to the Reserve Bank of India, promising a return with interest. Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
Telangana's newly appointed DGP C V Anand announced that the state police will implement measures to address cyber crimes, drug issues, and road accidents, involving district-level officials. He also mentioned reviewing the phone-tapping case linked to the previous BRS regime and prioritising rehabilitation programmes for surrendered Naxals.
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested two men from Rajasthan for allegedly defrauding people of Rs 8 lakh by selling fake garba event passes during Navratri. The accused used Instagram, forged email IDs, WhatsApp, and AI tools like ChatGPT to create authentic-looking tickets and promotional material, targeting around 40,000 people. They sold 686 bogus passes for various high-end events before being apprehended based on a complaint from a garba organiser.
Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has uncovered a Rs 1.5 crore WhatsApp fraud, leading to the arrest of two key SIM and OTP suppliers in West Bengal. The investigation revealed a sophisticated international cybercrime network spanning China, Pakistan, India, and Hong Kong, operating a "boss scam" and utilizing a "Cybercrime as a Service" model. Police recovered a significant portion of the defrauded amount and secured thousands of devices.
Odisha Police's Crime Branch has arrested three individuals from New Delhi and Uttarakhand in connection with two major cyber fraud cases totalling Rs 2.78 crore. The cases involved impersonation as cyber crime officers and fraudulent investment schemes, leading to significant financial losses for victims.
A graphic designer, Pankaj Gupta, was arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch for creating malicious Android Package Kit (APK) files that enabled cyber fraudsters to cheat over 9,600 people of Rs 150 crore. Gupta, who previously escaped a digital arrest scam, developed APKs disguised as government services, selling them to cybercriminal networks in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Keralam police have issued a public caution against cyber fraudsters who use fake customer care numbers of banks and e-commerce platforms to deceive individuals and steal their personal and financial information. Fraudsters post fake numbers online, then contact victims posing as support agents, asking them to install remote access apps or make small payments to gain access to sensitive data.
Mumbai Police's 1930 cyber helpline has successfully intercepted and frozen over 101 crore defrauded from citizens in the last five months, preventing significant financial losses.
Odisha CID arrests a man from New Delhi for allegedly duping a Bhubaneswar resident of over Rs 2 crore in a cyber fraud case.
Uttar Pradesh Police have dismantled an inter-state cyber fraud racket, arresting 19 individuals involved in duping people under the guise of government welfare schemes.
Ahmedabad police have arrested a man for allegedly sending bomb threat emails to GUJSAIL at Ahmedabad Airport and schools in March. The accused, Bhavesh Patel, was traced through an account allegedly operated by him.
Nuh Police have arrested three individuals involved in creating fake social media profiles for cyber fraud, recovering fake SIM cards and mobile phones.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar convened a meeting with bankers to address the misuse of bank accounts in cyber frauds and implement preventative measures, following 'Operation Octopus' which dismantled cyber fraud networks and led to arrests of complicit bank officials.
Delhi Police dismantled a cyber fraud facilitation network involving mule bank accounts and shell companies, arresting two dummy directors after detecting a fund flow of over Rs 16 crore within eight days.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for banks to implement temporary debit holds on accounts or transactions suspected of being involved in money-mule activity and cyber-enabled financial fraud, with a maximum duration of 60 days.
Delhi Police have dismantled a cyber fraud racket based in Mewat, arresting four individuals for allegedly impersonating Indian Air Force officials and defrauding businessmen using forged documents.
Delhi Police have arrested three individuals from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh for allegedly providing mule bank accounts used to route over Rs 1.22 crore in proceeds from various cyber fraud schemes.
A retired ITBP officer in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district has reported an online fraud of approximately 17.52 lakh from his bank accounts. Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
Delhi Police have dismantled a cyber fraud syndicate with connections to foreign handlers, arresting three individuals, including a bank employee. The investigation revealed the use of mule accounts, social media platforms, and cryptocurrency for illicit transactions.
Ahmedabad police have arrested a man from West Bengal for sending hoax bomb threat emails to schools and courts in Gujarat.
Nuh Police have arrested three individuals involved in creating fake social media profiles for cyber fraud, recovering fake SIM cards and mobile phones.
Jharkhand police have uncovered an interstate cyber fraud network and arrested four individuals involved in fraudulent transactions across 24 states. The investigation was initiated following inputs from the Union Home Ministry's 'Samanvaya portal', leading to the discovery of a bank account in Ramgarh district used for the illicit activities.
Delhi Police have dismantled a major international cyber fraud syndicate, arresting the alleged mastermind and 10 others. The syndicate is linked to over 2,000 complaints and scams worth over Rs 300 crore, with connections to international cyber fraud operations in Cambodia.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that investigating agencies cannot impose a blanket debit freeze on a person's bank account during cybercrime investigations. The court stated that restraint must be proportionate to the suspected proceeds of crime, directing banks to de-freeze accounts beyond the disputed amount. This ruling aims to protect innocent account holders from complete financial deprivation due to minor disputed transactions.
Delhi Police have dismantled an interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in an online investment scam, arresting four individuals. The accused allegedly defrauded victims by promising high returns on online trading platforms and coercing them into depositing more money.
The Union Home Ministry has issued a stern advisory to states and Union Territories, highlighting a "dangerous trend" of human trafficking through "overseas recruitment scams." These scams lure victims with promises of high-paying jobs abroad, only to trap them in "CyberFraud Centres." The ministry has called for a "specialised offensive" involving various state agencies to combat this growing menace, emphasising strict enforcement, agency verification, and public awareness.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar has proposed a Joint Working Group with the RBI and banks to address the issue of mule bank accounts used in cyber fraud. The proposal follows 'Operation Octopus,' which exposed vulnerabilities in KYC verification. Sajjanar also recommended strict directives for banks to fix accountability and adopt advanced technology to detect suspicious transactions.
Delhi Police have dismantled an interstate cyber fraud network, arresting three individuals involved in digital arrest and investment scams that defrauded victims of over Rs 80 lakh.
Mumbai Police have arrested three men from Jharkhand for creating and selling fraudulent APK files used to scam people, particularly during a recent shortage of LPG cylinders.
A man accused of robbing and murdering a 58-year-old woman in Goa has been arrested by police in Thane district.
The police arrested six persons including a hacker named Parit Dhamelia from Surat and owner of a YouTube channel Prajwal Taily, a resident of Latur, Maharashtra.
Arshad Warsi can create an air of levity around anybody but Vir Hirani's stiff screen presence as Pritam Parkar has no vibe to match his peevish, pitiable Pedro Gonsalves, observes Sukanya Verma.
Gurugram Police have arrested two former bank employees for allegedly fraudulently obtaining loans by accessing data of pre-approved accounts.
As per the advisory of cyber-security agency CERT-In, a digital arrest is the one in which victims receive a phone call, an e-mail or a message claiming they are under investigation for illegal activities, such as identity theft or money laundering.
Police in Lucknow busted a gang that misused the Mudra loan scheme to create fake GST firms and commit input tax credit fraud worth approximately Rs 1.3 crore.
A family in Noida was duped of over Rs 1 crore after they were kept under 'digital arrest' for five days by unknown people posing as government officials. The scammers threatened the family with arrest by making video calls and claiming to be investigating money laundering and other crimes. This is a new type of cyber fraud where the accused pose as law enforcement agency officials and use video calls to intimidate their victims.
The SIT investigating self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who faces multiple rape accusations, has made significant breakthroughs.
Seventeen persons, including four hailing from Taiwan, were arrested by Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch for allegedly operating a nationwide 'digital arrest' racket, a Gujarat police official said on Monday.