Rising cybercrime in India linked to social-engineering networks

Law enforcement agencies across major Indian cities are reporting a sustained surge in cybercrime, with fraud networks using social engineering, fake identities and a web of bank accounts and SIM cards to cheat victims nationwide. In recent weeks, authorities have highlighted multiple cases ranging from a single-incident WhatsApp impersonation in Chandigarh to a sprawling Mumbai operation that netted tens of crores, alongside ongoing investigations into online shopping, investment and other digital fraud schemes. Police say the scale and cross-state nature of these crimes point to coordinated networks that exploit gaps in digital security, customer verification and data sharing.

In Chandigarh, a 34-year-old man from Mumbai was arrested on charges of defrauding a city resident of around 1.3 crore rupees. The victim received a message from an unknown number posing as his employer and urging an urgent advance payment for a project. Believing the sender to be legitimate, the victim transferred the funds to a bank account provided in the message. The case led to a formal FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Sector 17, and investigators say the arrested man admitted to contact...