Connect with us
Friday,25-September-2026
Breaking News

Business

India Lost ₹22,842 Crore To Cybercriminals & Fraudsters In 2024: DataLEADS

Published

on

India lost Rs 22,842 crore to cybercriminals and fraudsters in 2024, DataLEADS, a Delhi-based media and tech company, said in its report on widespread digital financial frauds in the country. The amount stolen by digital criminals and fraudsters last year was nearly three times more than the Rs 7,465 crore in 2023 and almost 10 times more than the Rs 2,306 in 2022, DataLEADS said in ‘Contours of Cybercrime: Persistent and Emerging Risk of Online Financial Frauds and Deepfakes in India.

Prediction For Cyber-Crime Frauds

The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, I4C, a federal agency that liaises between state and central law enforcement, predicts Indians will lose over Rs 1.2 lakh crore this year. The number of cybercrime complaints has spiked similarly; nearly twenty lakh were reported in 2024, up from around 15.6 lakh the year before and ten times more than were logged in 2019.

The surge in the number of cybercrime complaints and the volume of money lost points to one inescapable conclusion – India’s digital crooks are getting smarter and more efficient, and, in a country with a staggering nearly 290 lakh unemployed people, their ranks are increasing.

Bank-related frauds have increased dramatically; the Reserve Bank of India reported a nearly eightfold jump in the first half of FY 2025/26 compared to the same period last year. And the amount of money lost was staggering – Rs 2,623 crore to Rs 21,367 crore. Private sector banks accounted for nearly 60 per cent of all such incidents. But it was customers in public sector banks who were worst-hit; they lost Rs 25,667 crore in all.

Why have these numbers jumped so much over the past three years?

Because of the increased use of digital payment modes – i.e., smartphone-enabled services like Paytm and PhonePe – and the sharing and processing of financial details online – via (what many believe are encrypted and fail-safe) messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Federal data says there were over 190 lakh UPI, or unified payment interface, transactions in June 2025 alone, and these were worth a combined Rs 24.03 lakh crore. Digital payments’ value has grown from roughly Rs 162 crore in 2013 to Rs 18,120.82 crore in January 2025, and India accounts for nearly half of all such payments worldwide.

COVID-19

Much of this increase can be attributed to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

During COVID-19, the government pushed for a switch to UPI apps like Paytm to ensure social distancing and minimise contact with currency notes, via which the virus could be transmitted.

Digital Payment Tools In Rural Areas

The government also reasoned that digital payment tools would ensure greater penetration of financial services, particularly in rural areas. By 2019, India already had 440 million smartphone users and data rates were among the cheapest in the world – 1 GB cost Rs 200, or less than $3.

Insurance sector scams were also common. These included life, health, vehicle, and general, and are becoming an increasingly lucrative option for cybercriminals, particularly as insurance companies urge customers to opt for app-based services.

Business

Adani Group Chairman in Kolkata to meet CM Adhikari today

Published

on

Kolkata, Sep 24: Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata on Thursday.

Gautam Adani arrived in the city on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning visited the iconic Goddess Kali Temple at Kalighat in South Kolkata and offered prayers.

Later in the day, he will be at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Adani Arogya Mandir, a proposed 2,000-bed hospital in New Town. The Chief Minister is scheduled to join the ceremony.

The proposed hospital is seen as a part of the state government’s efforts to attract investment in the healthcare sector and also the beginning of a broader investment push by the Adani Group in West Bengal.

The Adani Group Chairman is likely to have a meeting with CM Adhikari and senior cabinet members, focusing on the Group’s future investments in the state.

After the change of regime in West Bengal, the BJP-led state government is pushing for investments in the state.

CM Adhikari has promised to create more jobs and set up industries. Famous industrialists are coming forward to make investments in the state. The state government expects the Adani Group to invest in multiple sectors in the state.

State secretariat insiders said that the Adani Group has plans to invest in multiple sectors in the state. The Group has already been a part of the restoration of the Writers’ Buildings, the old state secretariat at B.B.D. Bag in Central Kolkata.

Besides that, the Adani Group will be associated with the forthcoming Durga Puja festival. The Group will select the eight best community Durga Pujas and will donate Rs 25 lakh to each.

A special visit programme has also been organised for eminent personalities from home and abroad to showcase the art and tradition of Durga Puja to the world. This special Puja preview tour will be held for three days on October 10, 11 and 12.

Continue Reading

Business

Sensex, Nifty post marginal gains as crude prices drop below $100

Published

on

Mumbai, Sep 23: The Indian equity markets inched up marginally early on Wednesday as crude prices eased below $100 per barrel mark. Investors also remain keen on easing global tensions ahead of scheduled talks between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

As of 9.20 am, Sensex added 194 points, or 0.26 per cent, to reach 74,732 and Nifty gained 49 points, or 0.21 per cent to reach 23,378.

Main broad-cap indices performed in line with the benchmark indices, as the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.33 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.6 per cent.

Sectoral indices on NSE traded in green except Nifty IT, down 0.37 per cent. Nifty metal was the top gainer, up 1.06 per cent, followed by FMCG and PSU Bank, up 0.55 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively.

“The structure of the market in recent days has been technically weak with a downward bias and will remain so in the absence of significant triggers. A sharp dip in crude prices or US bond yields can provide that trigger,” analysts said.

“Domestic liquidity is supporting the broader market. Market activity is now focused on the broader market. Good growth and better growth prospects are attracting investment into many mid-and small-caps but valuations in these segments are getting stretched,” they added.

Global cues are mixed as Asian markets remain broadly positive, supported by technology stocks, while Wall Street stayed near record levels amid renewed AI optimism.

In the previous session, Nifty closed at 23,329, down 0.43 per cent, after opening higher at 23,454. Immediate support is placed at 23,150–23,200, while resistance is seen at 23,450–23,500.

In the previous session, Bank Nifty closed at 56,215, down 0.49 per cent. Immediate support is placed at 55,800–56,000, while resistance is seen at 56,500–56,600.

In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index shed 0.34 per cent, and Shenzhen lost 0.57 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.38 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 0.78 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.08 per cent.

The US markets ended mixed overnight as Nasdaq gained 0.45 per cent. The S&P 500 remained flat, and the Dow Jones shed 0.36 per cent.

On September 22, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth Rs 3,800 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 4,120 crore.

Continue Reading

Business

After Meta, Google to report child sexual abuse content directly to Indian authorities

Published

on

New Delhi, Sep 22: After Meta, US tech giant Google will report content flagged as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) directly to the Indian authorities, contrary to the long‑standing global practice of routing such reports through a US non‑profit organisation.

Meta announced a similar change last week after Indian officials pressed major tech firms in recent weeks to speed up reporting, citing concerns that the existing system delays reports considerably.

Google “invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material,” a company spokesperson said, describing the change as part of the company’s “ongoing discussions with the government of India.”

Meta and Alphabet’s Google used to send tips to the US‑based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) which then relayed them to local law enforcement, according to reports.

Such a practice could cause dangerous delays in cases where children may be at immediate risk as reports pass through an intermediary before reaching domestic police who can act on the ground.

The US nonprofit that erstwhile used to receive such reports first hand runs CyberTipline portal that recorded nearly 21.3 million reports from around the world of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2025.

India remains the largest market by user count for both Meta’s Facebook and Google’s YouTube. Meta’s shift in policy comes after weeks of friction with New Delhi, including an apology last month by CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the spread of child sexual abuse material on the company’s platforms.

Technology and law enforcement officials in the United States, the European Union and elsewhere have urged platforms to bolster detection and reporting. However, most countries continue to route reports through the US nonprofit as the primary international clearing house.

The Central government, in July, directed Google to take down multiple Firebase web development accounts that were impersonating the websites and mobile apps of major public- and private-sector banks and other financial institutions.

Continue Reading

Trending