Cyber Crime
Top 10 Daily Cybercrime Brief by FCRF [20.07.2024]: Click here to Know More
Important global cybercrime news has been curated by Futurecrime Researchers to keep you informed about various types of digital fraud occurring worldwide and to provide insights into the best mitigation strategies. Read below to learn more in detail.
1. New Fraud Alert: A Journalist Describes a 28-Hour ‘Digital Captivity’
A woman recounts a harrowing 28-hour scam where fraudsters, posing as telecom and cybercrime officials, accused her of identity theft and money laundering. Through a sophisticated ruse involving Skype calls and fake credentials, they manipulated her into redeeming mutual funds. Thankfully, her family intervened before any financial loss occurred.
2. Woman Scammed Out of Rs 2L
In Chandigarh, a woman from Sector 47 lost Rs 2 lakh to an internet banking fraud, and a man named Vinod was assaulted with rods and sticks by four individuals at Ram Darbar. He is receiving treatment at GMCH, Sector 32. Both incidents have been reported to the respective police stations.
3. Indore: Cyber Cell Recovers Rs 89 Lakh for Man Defrauded of Rs 98 Lakh
In Indore, the cyber cell returned Rs 89 lakh to a victim duped of Rs 98 lakh by a fraudster posing as a financial advisor. The accused, Prashant Remane, is jailed in Mumbai for other cyber frauds. The cyber cell has recovered around Rs 11 crore for victims this year and issued an advisory on preventing financial fraud.
4. MARVEL: Maharashtra Introduces India’s First AI Crime Prevention Program
The Maharashtra government launched MARVEL, a collaboration with IIM Nagpur and Pinaca Technologies, to utilize AI for crime-solving. Overseen by the State Home Ministry, MARVEL employs AI to analyze data from sources like CCTV footage to assist in crime detection, financial fraud, and cybercrime investigations.
ALSO READ: ‘Biggest Cyber Outage Ever’? Crowdstrike Update Causes Global Windows 10 Chaos
5. Delhi Police Arrest 14 Cyber Criminals in Jharkhand Connected to 36 Cases Across 9 States
Delhi Police arrested 14 cyber fraudsters from Jharkhand’s Jamtara, linked to 36 cases across nine states involving Rs 1.2 crore. The operation, ‘Cyber Prahar’ part 2, targeted UPI payment frauds. The suspects, including masterminds Altaf ‘Rockstar’ Ansari and Ghulam ‘Masterji’ Ansari, used technology and fake websites to deceive victims.
INTERNATIONAL
6. Microsoft Outage: The ‘Cyber Pandemic’ That Brought the World to a Standstill
A global tech outage, triggered by a CrowdStrike software update, disrupted flights, media, hospitals, and businesses by affecting Microsoft’s cloud services. The issue, caused by a defect in a single update for Windows hosts, led to widespread chaos but was resolved later on Friday. CrowdStrike assured it was not a cyberattack
7. U.K. Authorities Detain 17-Year-Old Linked to Last Year’s MGM Cyberattack
A 17-year-old English teenager was arrested for alleged involvement in a hacking group responsible for ransomware attacks on U.S. companies, including MGM Resorts, which was affected for 10 days in 2023. Released on bail, the teen is suspected of working with a large-scale cyber-hacking community.
8. Australia Issues Warning About Malicious Websites Following Cyber Disruption
Australia’s cyber intelligence agency warned of malicious websites and unofficial code exploiting Friday’s global outage caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update. The Australian Signals Directorate urged using only official CrowdStrike sources for recovery. The outage affected major institutions, including the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas, but did not impact critical infrastructure
9. Olympics: Paris 2024 Reports IT Systems Impacted by Worldwide Cyber Outage
The Paris Olympics’ organizing committee reported IT disruptions due to a global cyber outage just a week before the Games. The outage also grounded flights and impacted banks, telecoms, and media worldwide. American Airlines, Delta, United, and others faced delays. Australia’s government linked the issue to CrowdStrike’s software update.
10. Two Russian Nationals Admit Guilt in LockBit Ransomware Operations
Two Russian nationals, Ruslan Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, have pleaded guilty in the U.S. for their roles in the LockBit ransomware scheme. Astamirov, arrested in May 2023, and Vasiliev, extradited from Canada, facilitated ransomware attacks globally, affecting over 2,500 entities and generating about $500 million in ransom. Both face significant prison sentences.