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In May 2024, over 1,000 suspicious Skype accounts were blocked, highlighting the scale of rising cybercrime. Extortion tactics have grown more sophisticated, with cybercriminals impersonating law enforcement officers to threaten "digital arrests" for fabricated charges, said Nikhli Jois, cyber expert and head of growth at Bureau Inc.—a trust network that facilitates end-to-end identity verification, compliance, and fraud prevention for new-age businesses.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) have flagged a surge in such scams. In one case, a cyber gang extorted Rs 26.52 lakh from a Ghansoli resident in Navi Mumbai, claiming his name was linked to terrorists. The gang threatened to arrest him on sedition charges.
Cybercriminals have wreaked havoc across the country, with Navi Mumbai reporting cyber frauds exceeding Rs 2 crore daily. Over 200 cases have been registered in the past year, involving losses of over Rs 200 crore, according to local officials.
The Ghansoli victim, a doctor, was contacted by the gang on Aug. 26, posing as police officers. They conducted a video call, displaying a fake police setup and convinced him the case was a national security issue. The gang alleged the victim’s account was tied to terrorist Yakub Memon and drug trafficking.
Under duress, the victim transferred Rs 26.52 lakh across various accounts, but later realised it was a scam and filed a complaint with the Nerul Cyber Police. The case is under investigation.
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Manipulation Over Hacking
"Social engineering relies on emotional manipulation to pressure victims into revealing sensitive information," said Dr. Raakesh Kriplani, a cyberpsychologist. Scammers create fear, making victims comply out of urgency or fear of severe consequences.
Fraudsters use minimal setups on video calls, mimicking police stations. They wear uniforms, display Maharashtra Police emblems, and position an Indian flag in the background to build trust. “They also use URLs or WhatsApp numbers with official-sounding names like ‘IndianPoliceService’ to seem legitimate,” Jois said.
“These scams depends 99% on human psychology, not technology,” noted a Navi Mumbai police official, highlighting how cybercrime now exploits behaviour over systems.
Scammer’s Psychological Tricks
Scammers create urgency, pressuring victims to act without questioning. Dr. Anureet Sethi, cyber psychologist and co-founder of Trijog-Know Your Mind, explained that this pressure blocks critical thinking, making people feel trapped into compliance.
Traits like anxiety or dependence increase vulnerability. Scammers exploit these by presenting compliance as the only escape from shame or legal trouble, often confusing victims with legal jargon.
Impersonating authorities in video calls is a common tactic. "People trust authority," Dr. Sethi noted, making it harder for victims to doubt even questionable interactions. Fake documents and official-sounding procedures boost the scam’s credibility.
Scammers isolate victims, warning against discussing the situation, which strengthens their control.
Dr. Sethi advises scepticism and awareness, stressing that recognising tactics like urgency, trust in authority, and isolation is key. "If something feels off, trust your instincts and verify before acting."
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Challenges In Tracking Scammers
Tracking scammers is challenging due to the multilayered nature of these scams, explained Dr. Kriplani. Various groups are involved, such as data providers, bank account holders, and money handlers. Once money is received from a victim, it’s quickly split and transferred across multiple bank accounts, sometimes over 200. This makes tracking difficult.
The Navi Mumbai police official noted that banks are slow to cooperate, even with court orders. Despite multiple meetings, banks delay providing crucial data. Current accounts play a key role in these scams, and better KYC processes are needed. Banks often open accounts without proper verification, aiding scammers.
Social media groups are also promoting 'current accounts on rent', with thousands of people offering their accounts for use. Even educated individuals fall for these schemes, lured by fake websites and promises of easy money.
Securing Against Emotional Hacks
Scammers bypass security by exploiting human emotions. While two-factor authentication and phone verification help, they are less effective against social engineering scams like video-based extortion.
Jois suggests stronger transaction-level protections, including stricter identity checks, dynamic transaction limits, and real-time fraud alerts. Financial institutions should enhance fraud detection systems and implement risk-based identity verification for sensitive actions to better prevent such scams.
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