SCAMMERS
US cyber crimes: Overseas scammers are swiping billions from Americans every year, and getting away with it
Scammers are stealing billions from Americans yearly, exploiting technology and targeting older adults. Sophisticated fraud schemes overwhelm law enforcement and rarely lead to prosecution. With elder fraud complaints rising, experts call for coordinated efforts from private industries and the government to combat this escalating crime wave effectively.
AI Scams: How to stay safe from these top frauds that can rob you
Artificial intelligence-related scams are one the recent additions in the vast list of scam types ranging through decades. However, AI scams are wee bit sinister as they can be untraceable, powerful and can rob you out of all you have, making it a potential financial threat for people across the world.
Sidharth Malhotra fan loses Rs 50 lakh to scammers who claimed that he was being blackmailed by wife, Kiara Advani
A woman named Minoo Vasudeva was swindled out of Rs 50 lakhs by two individuals posing as administrators of a fan page dedicated to the 'Ek Villain' star. The fraudsters, identified as Aliza and Husna Parveen, falsely claimed that the actor's life was in danger. According to the victim, they alleged that the actor's wife and his 'Shershaah' co-star Kiara Advani were blackmailing him.
Swipe, Date & Dhokha! How an IAS aspirant's Cafe date via Tinder cost him Rs 1.2 lakh in Delhi
A civil service aspirant's Tinder date at Black Mirror Cafe in East Delhi turned into a scam when Versha, actually Afsan Parveen, abruptly left, leaving him with a bill of Rs 1,21,917. The victim was coerced into paying under threat before reporting the incident to police. Investigations led to arrests of Parveen and cafe owner Akshay Pahwa, revealing a network exploiting men through dating apps in major cities.
Fraudsters force 72-year-old into 13-hour WhatsApp video call; steal Rs 83 lakh from her bank accounts
Dasgupta called back to resolve the issue, only to find herself speaking to someone claiming to be a Mumbai Police officer. "He fabricated a case against me, even providing a fake FIR number and a warrant supposedly issued by the 'CBI' in a 'Mumbai court'," Dasgupta told TOI.
NEET Paper Leak Scandal: The role of Sanjiv Mukhiya and his network
An investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak in Bihar has revealed a complex network of scammers. Key among them is Sanjiv Mukhiya, an employee at Nalanda's Noorsarai Horticulture College, and Ravi Atri from Uttar Pradesh, who was previously involved in another leak scandal. Mukhiya took leave shortly after the May 5 exam, claiming to be hospitalized, and has since gone missing.
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Don't leave your crease: ICICI Bank asks UPI users to follow cricket strategy to stay safe from frauds
ICICI Bank issued a warning about rising fake UPI payment scams, urging caution through social media. They shared a video advising users to verify unexpected UPI notifications carefully to avoid scams where scammers claim to have sent too much money and pressure victims to return excess amounts urgently. This alert coincides with a significant increase in digital payment fraud cases reported by the RBI. ICICI Bank encourages prompt reporting of cybercrimes and offers tips to protect against fraudulent transactions.
Online investment scam: Fake Invesco, Goldman Sachs agents dupe Kerala man Rs 7.5 crore
A man from Kerala was scammed of Rs 7.55 crore by fraudsters posing as representatives from Invesco Capital and Goldman Sachs, who tricked him with a fake account balance. To prevent such scams, be vigilant of unsolicited offers, research investments, and refrain from sharing financial details.
Lured by deepfake Mukesh Ambani Insta reel, Doctor loses Rs 7 lakh in trading scam
A 54-year-old Ayurveda doctor from Andheri lost over Rs 7 lakh to a trading scam involving a deepfake video of Mukesh Ambani. Dr. K K H Patil transferred Rs 7.1 lakh, believing in the false endorsement. Similarly, Sandeep Kumar from Greater Noida lost Rs 20.54 lakh in a work-from-home scam. Police have filed FIRs in both cases.
CEO fraud: For bigger catch, cybercrooks turn pros, go phishing for whales
Phishing attacks have become more sophisticated, with cybercrooks using social engineering to impersonate top corporate executives and trick employees into sending money. Fraudsters are also using artificial intelligence, launching bot-based attacks, and studying social media profiles to craft convincing mails. Akshay Garkel from Grant Thornton Bharat highlighted the need for improved security awareness levels to combat cyber attacks effectively. Educational institutes like IIMs have also faced impersonation scams, leading to the implementation of stricter systems.
DoT take down over 1000 SMS content templates to protect citizens from potential fraud
DoT, with support from MHA, cracked down on spam calls by blacklisting 73 SMS headers and 1,522 content templates to prevent SMS fraud, as reported by ToI.
Govt blacklists 8 principal entities in fresh strike down on SMS scammers
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has taken this decisive action to protect citizens from potential SMS fraud through the Sanchar Saathi initiative, the government said in a statement Monday.
Fraud, crypto & wallet: A virtual hold for a real crime
Soon after a transaction by a scammer or the use of a mule account to purchase cryptos is tracked, the virtual digital assets (VDAs) can be moved to the proposed special account which would be under the control of a law enforcement agency (LEA).
Setting out for summer holidays? Keep an eye out for scammers at THESE holiday destinations
A popular holiday destination based in Spain that has British tourists flocking all over is also one of the most dangerous destinations for travel scams, according to recent reports
Covaxin, Covishield alert: Scammers exploiting vaccine fears, police issue alert
Authorities are alarmed by a surge in fraudulent activities exploiting Covid-19 vaccine inquiries, targeting unsuspecting individuals for personal information. Scammers, posing as health officials, prompt citizens for Covishield or Covaxin details, aiming to harvest sensitive data. Kolkata residents report such incidents, including calls from interactive voice systems causing network disruptions.
Facebook account hacked? How to recover it in case you have been locked out?
As cybercrimes and scams via online mediums increase exponentially across the globe, Facebook, which is one of the most popular social media platforms becomes an obvious target for hackers and scammers to illegitimately gain access to your account and personal information. However, there are some means by which these intruders can be kept at bay.
Warren Buffett says AI may be better for scammers than society: he's seen how
Buffett told the throngs he recently came face to face with the downside of AI. And it looked and sounded just like him. Someone made a fake video of Buffett, apparently convincing enough that the so-called Oracle of Omaha himself said he could imagine it tricking him into sending money overseas.
Warren Buffett says AI may be better for scammers than society. And he's seen how
Warren Buffett cautioned the tens of thousands of shareholders who packed an arena for his annual meeting that artificial intelligence scams could become "the growth industry of all time."
Job scams: Who is vulnerable? How to protect yourself from job scams?
Job scams were among the top 10 scams in the latest annual Targeting Scams report, with a dramatic 150% increase in financial losses compared to the year before. Job scammers attract people by promising fake jobs that require little effort but promise a substantial financial reward or "guaranteed" income, or perhaps even a "dream job" at a real company they're impersonating. Scammers use social media, unsolicited emails, encrypted chat applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), phone calls or even legitimate employment websites to advertise non-existent jobs. The main purpose of this is to extract money from unsuspecting job seekers who are really in need of employment.
Epidemic of digital scams: How to protect yourself and elderly family members from frauds
The obvious choke point is the banking system. Digital fraud, by its very nature, has to route the loot through digital transfers between bank accounts. This is what enables this type of crime. If dealt with properly, this is also its weak link. While there is some news about banks’ proposal to link with MHA’s cybercrime system, a lot more needs to be done.
Telecom Department issues warning as scammers target MS Dhoni fans with fake messages
Scammers are targeting MS Dhoni fans with fake messages on Instagram, pretending to be the cricketer and asking for money. The Department of Telecom has issued a warning, urging people to be vigilant and not fall for these scams. The scammers are using Dhoni's popularity to deceive fans, but the DoT is actively working to protect mobile users from such fraudulent activities.
Latest scamming trick: 'I am MS Dhoni...have forgotten wallet'
Scammers on social media impersonate MS Dhoni, tricking people into sending money. One posing as Dhoni on Instagram requested Rs 600 to return from Ranchi, using the username "mahi77i2" and the 'Whistle Podu' slogan, garnering social media attention.
Scam Exposed: Bengaluru man's viral chat reveals fraudulent techniques, Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma reacts
A Bengaluru resident, Chetty Arun, engaged in a revealing chat with an online scammer, exposing the scammer's deceptive techniques. Arun's conversation not only shed light on the methods used by scammers but also garnered attention from Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. The interaction highlighted the importance of cyber security awareness and vigilance in combating online fraud.
Here's how a former MNC MD lost Rs 4.8 crore to online fraudsters impersonating CBI officials
A former managing director (MD) of an MNC in Thane, India, lost Rs 4.8 crore to online fraudsters impersonating CBI officials. The scammers used a sophisticated scheme involving phone calls, fabricated cases, and coercion to steal sensitive information and money from the victim. The case is under investigation by the Thane police, highlighting the importance of staying vigilant and verifying the legitimacy of callers claiming to be from official agencies.
'Congress and its alliance parties are biggest enemies of development', says PM Modi
Calling Congress "scammers", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an attack on the grand old party and said that Congress and its allies are the biggest enemies of development.
Love Not Actually: 39% of Indians fall prey to cat fishers & scamsters online
39% of Indians saying their conversations with a potential love interest online turned out to be with a scammer!
When Mr. Right turns into Mr. Hyde: 43% of Indians have fallen prey to romantic scams online!
Powered by AI and deepfake, many fraudsters have channelised cutting-edge technology to scam vulnerable people, desperate to meet their soulmate online.
Swipe left! AI-generated bots proliferate online dating space
Cybersecurity firm McAfee has found in a survey that 77% of Indians have come across fake profiles and photos generated using AI tools created to commit romance scams and catfishing. 39% of Indians said their conversations with a potential love interest online turned out to be with a scammer.
AI.con: a new voice for Jamtara-type scammers
Voice clones or deepfakes have emerged as the latest tool for cyber scammers, they said, as artificial intelligence (AI)-related scams are being increasingly reported from different parts of the country.
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