The Indian government has sought explanations from WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal regarding their username features, citing serious concerns about potential impersonation and cybercrime. IT Secretary S Krishnan highlighted the risks, leading to notices being served to these platforms, with WhatsApp specifically asked to pause its rollout of the feature.
Gujarat CID has arrested Rafiqul Alam, the alleged 'mastermind' behind 1,090 cybercrimes totalling Rs 1,071.5 crore, who was found to have links with China-based criminals and converted illicit funds into cryptocurrencies.
Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato has called for the formulation of a more effective and stringent policy to curb cybercrimes, fraud, and digital scams. He highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence, which simplifies life but also presents serious challenges through misuse. Various experts and MLAs at a workshop emphasised the importance of cybersecurity education, personal digital responsibility, and empowering legislators to strengthen institutional resilience against cyber threats.
A new study analysing millions of posts from underground cybercrime forums reveals that cybercriminals are struggling to effectively utilise AI tools, despite widespread experimentation since the launch of ChatGPT.
Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi conducted a high-level review meeting to assess the state's security situation, with a focus on maintaining public safety and addressing cybercrime.
The CBI successfully coordinated the repatriation of Ganesh Balaso Kale, a cybercrime suspect from Thailand, and Vainket Garg, wanted for murder and other offences, from Georgia, demonstrating effective international law enforcement cooperation.
Gurugram Police have arrested six individuals allegedly involved in a cybercrime racket that defrauded people through online gaming and betting platforms. The arrests followed a raid in Delhi's Janakpuri area, where authorities seized mobile phones, laptops, ATM cards, and other incriminating materials.
Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters, including child sexual abuse cases, to appropriate law enforcement agencies in India, government sources confirmed, emphasising that online safety for children is a "non-negotiable" fundamental principle for social media platforms operating in the country.
Sri Lankan police have arrested over 600 foreigners, including Indian nationals, this year for involvement in cybercrime operations, highlighting the country's vulnerability to international syndicates.
Top Meta India executives, including chief Arun Srinivas, appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for the second time in a week regarding alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) related advertisements on its platforms. Meta has committed to reporting child safety matters directly to India's I4C cybercrime portal, a significant shift from its previous practice of reporting to a US-based centre. The government is pushing for stronger safeguards and accountability from social media platforms to ensure online child safety.
Sri Lankan police have arrested over 130 foreign nationals in a crackdown on alleged cybercrime operations across the island nation. The arrests, part of a wider effort to combat cross-border online fraud, took place in Colombo suburbs and involved individuals from various countries.
Gujarat's Director General of Police, KLN Rao, has emphasised the importance of a proactive approach in combating cybercrime, focusing on technology, coordination, and public awareness.
'Details of accounts such as the name, email id associated with the account, the IP address will now be shared with law enforcement agencies, which will help track down offenders faster.'
Government sources state that Meta, due to its algorithmic amplification of content, can no longer be considered a "simple intermediary" but rather a "service provider," implying greater responsibility and potential loss of legal immunity. This shift comes as Meta commits to directly reporting child abuse content to Indian law enforcement, amidst increasing government scrutiny over harmful online content and algorithmic bias.
BRICS leaders, in their New Delhi Declaration 2026, have called for wider access to Artificial Intelligence resources and stronger international cooperation to ensure the technology is safe, secure, inclusive, and reliable. The declaration outlines a broad technology agenda covering AI, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, telecom, quantum technologies, and advanced manufacturing, committing to implement the grouping's statement on 'Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence'.
A 26-year-old woman accountant in Thane was allegedly cheated of Rs 6.97 lakh in an online "task" fraud involving product purchases and buybacks. Four individuals have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act, with efforts underway to apprehend them.
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.
A 68-year-old Mumbai resident was defrauded of Rs 7.21 crore by cyber criminals who threatened her with false accusations of money laundering and terror funding. The fraudsters coerced her into transferring funds to bank accounts and a cryptocurrency wallet after impersonating officials from various agencies.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has emphasised the need for the state police to enhance their preparedness in addressing modern challenges such as cybercrime and financial offences. He highlighted the importance of the police force in maintaining law and order and contributing to the state's economic progress during the closing ceremony of the 36th Maharashtra State Police Sports Competition.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee said the proposed comprehensive statutory framework for regulating OTT content should include robust technology-enabled age-verification mechanisms, effective parental controls and suitable penalties for non-compliance.
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.
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.
The Maharashtra government has taken steps to combat the rise in investment-related cybercrimes, including arrests, enhanced cybersecurity measures, and public awareness campaigns.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has formally complained to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging that senior Muslim IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal were deliberately excluded from official events attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Moitra claims these officers were sidelined due to their religion, a pattern she describes as discriminatory and potentially damaging to minority confidence in security establishments.
'Ultimately, banks are a channel for people to get some long-term return, and this means banks need to adjust their asset-liability mismatch.' 'Customers also need long-term deposits, say those of three-five years. How would they get them if returns on those deposits do not climb?' 'Otherwise, on fixed deposits, a senior citizen doesn't get anything.'
A frozen phone screen, a fake customer-care call, a screen-sharing request or even a duplicate SIM can give cybercriminals a route into your bank account.
Delhi Police arrested over 600 individuals and detained over 8,300 suspects during Operation CyHawk 4.0, a major crackdown on cybercrime. The operation targeted financial networks and call centres involved in online scams, recovering significant digital evidence and tracing defrauded money.
Kota police, under the 'Mule Hunter' campaign, have arrested two individuals for allegedly committing online fraud, targeting victims as far away as Murshidabad, West Bengal. The arrests followed an analysis of suspected mule accounts and mobile numbers, revealing fraudulent transactions and prompting charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.
Delhi Police arrested over 600 individuals and detained more than 8,000 suspects during Operation CyHawk 4.0, a major crackdown on cybercrime.
Delhi Police arrested over 600 people and rounded up over 8,300 suspects during Operation CyHawk 4.0, a large-scale crackdown on cybercrime.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a suo motu case concerning victims of digital arrest, a growing form of cybercrime where fraudsters impersonate officials to extort money from victims.
The Supreme Court has directed the Reserve Bank of India to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within four weeks to deal with bank accounts linked to cyber frauds, including mule accounts. This directive is part of a broader effort to strengthen responses to cyber-enabled financial frauds, with the court also urging states and UTs to adopt and operationalise grievance redressal and money restoration modules.
Delhi Police arrested a 22-year-old woman for allegedly providing mule bank accounts to an interstate cybercrime network, recovering numerous ATM cards, cheque books, and electronic devices.
Do not share OTPs, PINs, authentication codes, card numbers, card verification values (CVVs), KYC details, security answers, Internet-banking passwords or Aadhaar-based authentication credentials through SMS, e-mail or phone calls.
A data breach does not end when the headlines fade. For victims, stolen personal information can fuel fraud, identity theft and financial losses for years.
Cybersecurity specialists warn AI-driven attacks require continuous threat monitoring instead of periodic security checks.
The Hyderabad City Police are actively cautioning young women against the emerging "rent boyfriend" cyber scam, a deceptive online trap designed to defraud and blackmail victims through fake companionship offers.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sought an explanation from WhatsApp regarding its username feature, citing concerns over potential cybercrime facilitation. Concurrently, the ministry is investigating reported data leak allegations involving Tata Electronics, a key supplier for Apple's iPhone components in India. MeitY is also exploring techno-legal solutions for VPNs to address challenges posed by unregistered providers operating from outside India.
Delhi Police have arrested six individuals linked to interstate cybercrime syndicates involved in digital arrest, fake IPO, and trading scams, recovering millions of rupees.
Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna stated that the state's law and order situation has significantly improved, with criminals losing their former confidence. He warned against anti-social elements using social media to intimidate and discussed ongoing probes into the Ayodhya Ram Mandir irregularities and the extradition of a drug trafficking kingpin. The DGP also highlighted the rising challenge of cybercrime and police efforts to combat it.
