Business
Indian investors likely lost Rs 1,000 cr to fake crypto exchanges: Report
Fake cryptocurrency exchanges have duped Indian investors of more than $128 million (nearly Rs 1,000 crore) as the global crypto market tanks, a new report claimed on Tuesday.
Cyber-security company CloudSEK said it has uncovered an ongoing operation involving several phishing domains and Android-based fake crypto applications.
“This large-scale campaign entices unwary individuals into a huge gambling scam. Many of these bogus websites impersonate “CoinEgg”, a legitimate UK-based cryptocurrency trading platform,” according to the report.
CloudSEK was approached by a victim who allegedly lost Rs 50 lakh ($64,000) to such a cryptocurrency scam, in addition to other costs such as deposit amount, tax, etc.
“We estimate that threat actors have defrauded victims of up to $128 million (about Rs 1,000 crore) via such crypto scams,” said Rahul Sasi, Founder and CEO of CloudSEK.
As investors shift their focus on the cryptocurrency markets, scammers and cheats turn their attention to them as well,’ Sasi added.
Threat actors first create fake domains that impersonate legitimate crypto trading platforms.
The sites are designed to replicate the official website’s dashboard and user experience.
The attackers then create a female profile on social media to approach the potential victim and establish a friendship.
The profile influences the victim to invest in cryptocurrency and start trading.
“The profile also shares $100-dollar credit, as a gift to a particular crypto exchange, which in this case is a duplicate of a legitimate crypto exchange,” the report mentioned.
The victim initially makes a significant profit, which bolsters their trust in the platform and the threat actor.
After the victim seemingly makes a profit, the scammer convinces them to invest a higher amount, promising better returns.
Once the victim adds their own money to the fake exchange, the threat actor freezes their account, ensuring the victim can’t withdraw their investment, and disappears with the victim’s money.
When victims take to various platforms to complain about losing access to their accounts, the same, or new, threat actors reach out to them in the guise of investigators.
“To retrieve the frozen assets, they request victims to provide confidential information such as ID cards and bank details, via email. These details are then used to perpetrate other nefarious activities,” the report warned.
In the long-term, it is imperative for the collaboration between crypto exchanges, Internet service providers (ISPs), and cyber crime cells to raise awareness and take action against threat groups,” said Sasi.
Business
Adani Electricity cuts AT&C losses with crackdown on power theft

Mumbai, July 14: Adani Electricity’s anti-theft drive has succeeded in significantly reducing its Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to 4.46 per cent in FY 2025-26 from 4.7 per cent in the previous year, which positions it among the Discoms with the lowest AT&C losses nationwide, according to a company statement issued on Tuesday.
This significant reduction of 0.24 per cent in AT&C losses across Adani Electricity’s extensive network will lower the burden on honest, paying consumers, the statement said.
Adani Electricity conducted 36,720 mass raids during the financial year 2025-2026 and registered 486 First Information Reports (FIRs) against perpetrators of power theft. This intensified vigilance also reflects a 40 per cent increase in odd-timing raids which include early morning, late evening and holidays.
Additionally, 5897 power theft cases were booked. During raids, 79.25 tons of illegal wires were recovered. A total theft of 19.82 million units — amounting to Rs 43.39 crore — was assessed, according to the statement.
The important cases include the successful detection and booking of a high-value electricity theft case of Rs 1.63 crore involving direct supply for moulding activity at Swastik Compound, Chincholi Bandar Road, Malad (West) on 7th November 2025, by the company’s vigilance team.
Similarly, on 4th July 2025 another high-value electricity theft case of Rs 80 lacs was booked involving direct supply for moulding activity at Motilal Nagar, Goregaon (West).
Besides, a case involving electricity theft to the tune of Rs 48.73 lakh was booked in June involving direct supply for moulding activity at Malad (East).
Stealing electricity is a non-bailable offence. Under Section 135 of the Electricity Act 2003, an offender can be punished with a fine, a jail term of up to three years, or both, once proven guilty.
Adani Electricity actively collaborates with police authorities to conduct regular mass raids, apprehend offenders, and confiscate equipment used for power theft. During FY 2025-26, a significant amount of 79.25 tons of unauthorized wires and other equipment were seized, the statement said.
Power theft in high-demand areas like slum clusters, where new network development is challenging due to space constraints, severely overloads the existing infrastructure.
This strain increases maintenance costs due to more frequent cable and transformer failures.
An Adani Electricity spokesperson said, “Power theft unfairly burdens honest, paying consumers. Adani Electricity is committed to eliminating the menace of power theft. By combating such unlawful activities, we safeguard the interests of our customers. We will intensify our efforts in specific areas to further reduce AT&C losses this year.”
“The significant reduction in AT&C losses this year is a direct result of our intensified efforts against power theft. This not only safeguards our infrastructure but also alleviates the financial burden on our honest, paying consumers by enabling us to maintain competitive tariffs,” he added.
Business
Markets open lower as Brent crude nears $80 amid escalating West Asia crisis

Mumbai, July 13: Indian equity markets opened lower on Monday as crude oil prices rebounded to near the $80-per-barrel mark amid renewed geopolitical tensions.
Sensex began the session at 76,963.35, down over 600 points or 0.78 per cent, while Nifty started at 24,039.40, declining 167.50 points or 0.69 per cent.
Sector-wise, most indices traded in the red, led by Nifty Auto and Nifty Metal, which fell up to 1 per cent. Nifty Consumer Durables, Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Private Bank also witnessed selling pressure, while Nifty IT and Nifty Pharma bucked the trend, gaining up to 0.6 per cent.
According to market experts, the back-and-forth developments in the West Asia crisis have become the new normal, creating uncertainty for energy importers such as India.
IndiGo, Tata Steel, Asian Paints, Shriram Finance, Bajaj Finance and HDFC Bank were among top losers.
“From the market perspective, particularly for India, the price of crude is the crucial factor. Brent is currently trading around $80. So long as Brent trades below $90, the market won’t be impacted significantly. But if Brent shoots above $90, there can be a significant correction in the market,” the experts said.
They added that sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows are providing resilience to the domestic market, with investors shifting allocations towards India amid concentration risks in South Korea’s chip sector.
On Sunday, US forces used precision munitions to hit dozens of targets across multiple locations in Iran, according to the US Central Command.
In addition, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude surged more than 4 per cent to trade around $80 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 4.55 per cent to $74.66 per barrel.
In Asian markets, major indices traded lower, with Japan’s Nikkei declining 1.6 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng falling 0.20 per cent and South Korea’s KOSPI slumping more than 6 per cent.
Business
Top 10 firms add nearly Rs 93,000 crore in market value last week

Mumbai, July 12: The combined market valuation of four of India’s 10 most-valued companies increased by Rs 92,995.48 crore during the last week, with HDFC Bank and Bharti Airtel emerging as the biggest gainers, even as the broader equity market ended lower.
During the week, the Sensex declined 194.52 points, or 0.25 per cent, while the Nifty slipped 63.95 points, or 0.26 per cent.
Among the country’s 10 most-valued companies, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) registered gains in their market capitalisation.
In contrast, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Hindustan Unilever together witnessed an erosion of Rs 49,294.13 crore in their market valuation.
HDFC Bank recorded the largest increase in market capitalisation during the week, with its valuation rising by Rs 35,808.09 crore to Rs 12,69,454.42 crore.
Bharti Airtel followed closely, adding Rs 34,896.92 crore to take its market valuation to Rs 11,98,774.22 crore.
LIC’s market capitalisation rose by Rs 16,065.5 crore to Rs 5,60,205.05 crore, while Reliance Industries added Rs 6,224.97 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 17,71,206.33 crore.
On the losing side, Hindustan Unilever registered the steepest decline, with its market capitalisation falling by Rs 12,088.65 crore to Rs 5,04,997.65 crore.
Larsen & Toubro’s valuation declined by Rs 11,040.23 crore to Rs 5,42,938.40 crore, while TCS lost Rs 8,574.87 crore in market value, ending the week at Rs 7,48,600.40 crore.
Bajaj Finance saw its market capitalisation shrink by Rs 7,813.58 crore to Rs 6,35,327.78 crore. ICICI Bank’s valuation slipped by Rs 6,315.32 crore to Rs 10,05,379.71 crore, while SBI’s market value declined by Rs 3,461.48 crore to Rs 9,56,430.44 crore.
Despite the mixed performance, Reliance Industries retained its position as India’s most-valued company by market capitalisation. It was followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, TCS, Bajaj Finance, LIC, Larsen & Toubro and Hindustan Unilever.
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