The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the rising cases of digital arrest cybercrime in India, where fraudsters extort money from victims by posing as law enforcement officials. The court has vowed to deal with such cases with an iron hand and has sought reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CBI.
An Enforcement Directorate team undertaking searches in a cyber fraud linked money laundering case was allegedly attacked in New Delhi on Thursday, officials said.
Interpol's latest report reveals a significant surge in global financial fraud, driven by the increasing use of artificial intelligence by scamsters, resulting in losses of over USD 442 billion in 2025.
Haryana Police launched 'Operation Aakraman-21' across the state, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures of drugs, illicit liquor, and illegal arms.
Cyber fraudsters have duped Delhi residents of nearly Rs 1,000 crore so far this year, with investment scams, digital arrests and boss scams emerging as the most common cybercrimes.
Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau arrests 11 individuals, including bank employees and a government official, in connection with a fraud case involving IDFC First Bank and the illegal diversion of government funds.
Organised crime is grooming a new generation of high-flying cyber criminals using the KGB-style tactics.
The Supreme Court has restrained lower courts from releasing the accused in a digital arrest fraud case where a 72-year-old lawyer was duped of Rs 3.29 crore. The court expressed concern over the growing cybercrime and the targeting of elderly citizens.
Responding to a question, he said, "It may also deal with fake news, though there is no specific mention in this regard."
In the latest case, the fraudsters, posing as personnel of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, contacted the businessmen between August 19 to October 8 and claimed his name had cropped up in a case of money laundering.
As 3G mobile services are set to be rolled out soon in the country, cyber experts sound a word of caution about the high tech enabled mobile phones, which they say are more vulnerable in the world of technology related crimes.
It said that when a retiree, who withdraws amounts in the range of Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000, suddenly withdraws huge amounts, then the bank should issue an alert.
The Supreme Court has expressed serious concerns about the rise in digital fraud, particularly digital arrest scams, and has directed the central government to develop a standard operating procedure to combat these crimes.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's 'X' handle was hacked, with images of Pakistan and Turkey flags posted. The account was recovered in 45 minutes. Congress leader Nana Patole raised concerns about cyber security.
Bengaluru police recovered Rs 14 lakh lost by BJP MP's wife in a cyber fraud through 'digital arrest'.
French police probe ransomware attack on Olympic venue
Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar faces accusations of infidelity from his wife, Bindhu Menon, amidst ongoing marital issues and political tensions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deepti said it was a matter of great pride to address the gathering at the Police Headquarters.
The Supreme Court is considering entrusting the CBI with the investigation into digital arrest cases, citing the magnitude and pan-India spread of such crimes. The court has sought details of FIRs registered in different states and union territories and is monitoring the progress of the investigation.
The CBI has registered 11 cases against cyber criminals involved in financial fraud using the internet and the agency conducted searches at 87 locations while 28 locations were raided by the state police forces, they said.
...benefiting 350,000 persons. Also, Trai detected and blocked seven million mobile phone connections involved in cyber fraud and suspicious activities.
A man was arrested in Gujarat for allegedly receiving a significant portion of Rs 3.71 crore siphoned off from a Mumbai woman in a 'digital arrest' scam. The cybercriminals impersonated law enforcement and court officials, staging a fake online hearing to deceive the victim.
From compromised machines to mass email lists for spamming, electronically-transferring funds out of bank accounts to phishing attacks -- India's 100 million internet users have become prime targets for hackers across the globe.
Pune police have arrested a Telangana-based electronics engineer for an alleged online fraud with a private university of Rs 2.46 crore.
'Just like oral hygiene, cyber hygiene must become a daily habit,' says Beena Vaheed, executive director, Bank of Baroda. 'It is not enough to rely only on banks, companies, or the government. Each of us must play our part.'
Most cyber crime cases are settled by human resource department within closed walls.
'While I personally the baseless news amusing, it was quite sad to see how disturbed my family felt.'
'Look at what kind of sites the child is visiting, what kind of games they are playing and then tell them about the pitfalls.' 'After the child sleeps, parents can check the history of sites visited and block sites that could be dangerous or inappropriate.'
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.
Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable due to their high savings, trust in authorities, and limited familiarity with online frauds.
A woman lawyer in Bengaluru fell prey to cyber criminals and during 'video arrest' for two days she not only lost money to the tune of Rs 14.57 lakh but also posed nude on camera for them, police sources said on Tuesday.
According to the survey by global IT security and data protection firm Sophos, criminals have increasingly focused attacks on users of social networking sites in last 12 months with an explosion in reports of spam and malware.
Computer emergency response teams will be strengthened with ethical hackers who will respond to cyberattacks.
In a recent blogpost, Google said hijackers routinely attempt to sign in to sites across the web with credentials exposed by third-party breaches. If netizens use strong, unique passwords for all their accounts, this risk disappears, it said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) clarifies that 'digital arrests' are not valid under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and advises the public to verify the authenticity of summons received.
What should the management do when it discovers a technology fraud?
The cyber police in Nagpur have booked local leader Fahim Khan and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during the violence that erupted in the city on Monday. The department has also sought information from Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles and requested their blocking.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasizes the need for a unified anti-terrorism structure and a strong anti-terrorism grid across India to effectively counter terror attacks. He also announced a new plan to combat organized crime.
According to security experts, cyber criminals with an intention of stealing money and other personal information of netizens are becoming increasingly active.
India's cyber security is definitely a cause for concern and every day there are new forms of onslaughts.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances