WASHINGTON — As the holiday shopping season accelerates, consumer protection officials are warning residents to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated gift card scams. District Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a public consumer alert on Monday, cautioning shoppers about a growing form of retail fraud known as gift card draining, which has become more prevalent during peak gift-giving periods. According to Schwalb’s office, gift card draining differs from traditi

A wave of fraudulent text messages has resurfaced across Illinois, falsely warning residents of unpaid traffic tickets and threatening immediate penalties if payment is not made within 24 hours. The messages claim to come from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and include alarming statements about possible suspension of vehicle registration, prosecution, credit score impact, and extra toll fees. Officials have confirmed that these messages are fake and part of an ongoing scam designed t

India is working closely with Thailand to repatriate around 500 Indian nationals detained after escaping a Chinese mafia-run cybercrime hub in Myanmar’s KK Park, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The operation follows a Myanmar junta raid on the compound last week, which forced hundreds of trafficked workers including Indians to cross into Thailand’s Mae Sot region, where they are currently under detention. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that India plans to send

Five adults have been arrested in Houston following a three-day undercover operation aimed at identifying and capturing individuals attempting to engage in sexual activity with minors. The sting, conducted by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s High-Tech Crimes Unit, brought together multiple law enforcement agencies in a coordinated effort to combat online child exploitation. Officials said the operation targeted suspects using social media and messaging platforms to contact

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has announced its Winter Internship Programme for 2025, aimed at students who wish to gain practical experience in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and cybercrime investigation. The programme offers aspiring professionals a platform to learn directly from experts engaged in safeguarding India’s digital infrastructure. Applications must be submitted by October 17, 2025. The in

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Instagram influencer and self-proclaimed entrepreneur Sandeepa Virk in connection with a ₹40-crore money laundering case that has rocked both the entertainment and corporate sectors. Virk, who boasts over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, is accused of using a fake e-commerce business, hyboocare.com, as a front to launder illicit funds. The website, which claimed to sell FDA-approved beauty products, reportedly

NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) looking for housing in Texas can fall victim to scams. These frauds target those unfamiliar with local markets or unable to inspect properties in person. Here are the top 3 scams to watch out for and how to avoid them. 1. Phantom Rental Listings How It Works: Fraudsters post fake listings on websites like Craigslist, Zillow, or Facebook Marketplace. They ask for an upfront deposit or rent through untraceable methods after the NRI

Two healthcare executives were sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating a massive medical fraud operation that bilked the U.S. government out of $127 million through a scheme involving unnecessary medical braces and illegal kickbacks. The sentencing took place in federal court in Newark, marking the conclusion of one of the more brazen cases of healthcare fraud in recent years. Eric Karlewicz, 46, of Rockland County, New York, and Nicco Romanowski, 33, of Roswell, Georgia,

Many users have faced difficulties in removing old or inactive mobile numbers linked to their UPI ID, leading to security risks and potential fraud. However, a new directive from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will simplify this process. By March 31, 2025, all banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) offering UPI services must update their databases to automatically remove inactive or recycled mobile numbers. The new rule is aimed at reducing errors and fraud that may ari

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently confirmed the successful repatriation of over 500 Indian nationals who had fallen victim to fake job offers in Myanmar and Thailand. According to the MEA, 266 Indians were repatriated on Tuesday by an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, following the return of 283 Indians on Monday. These individuals were reportedly rescued from cybercrime scam centres operating along the Myanmar-Thailand border. The MEA, through its spokesperson Randhir Jai

The Supreme Court of India has issued a landmark ruling on February 17, 2025, stating that an employee’s gratuity can be forfeited on the grounds of moral turpitude, even in the absence of a criminal conviction. This ruling expands the interpretation of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, allowing employers to withhold gratuity from employees dismissed for unethical or fraudulent actions.Previously, in a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in the Union of India vs. Ajay Babu case, the court had st

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Manikrao Kokate has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Nashik district and sessions court in a 1995 case involving the use of fraudulent documents to obtain government flats under a special housing scheme. In addition to the jail term, he has been fined Rs 50,000. His brother, Sunil Kokate, was also convicted in the same case.The verdict was delivered by Additional Chief Justice

Despite constant warnings from banks, government agencies, and corporates about the growing threat of online scams, many individuals continue to fall victim to these digital frauds. Recently, two retired government officials from Noida were scammed out of Rs. 2.87 crore, one through a digital arrest scam and the other via a forex trading fraud. Authorities have now launched criminal investigations into both incidents, hoping to curb the increasing number of cyberc

In a shocking revelation, an illegal land grab attempt targeting property originally meant for Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu has come to light in Bapatla. This land, registered 25 years ago by a loyal TDP supporter, was designated for the construction of a party office in the Bapatla constituency. Over time, the value of the land surged, now estimated at ₹1.5 crore. However, when the landowner recently approached a bank for a loan using the property as collateral, he was

A recent report by global analytics firm FICO has highlighted the increasing threat of scams in India's real-time payments (RTP) ecosystem. According to the survey, over one-third (34%) of respondents have lost money to scams, paying for goods, services, or investments that were never delivered. The report further reveals that 60% of respondents have received messages from scammers, and 54% reported that friends or family members have been scammed. Despite fewer people reporting

A British woman in Birmingham was left contemplating suicide after being deceived by a close friend of twenty years, Sumaiya Khurram, who catfished her online and drained her life savings of £92,300 (Rs 98.5 lakh). Khurram, 33, posed as a "pretty boy" on WhatsApp, claiming to be in love with the victim and asked for money to pay for cancer treatment at a private clinic. The fraud occurred between 2015 and 2017 when Khurram introduced the victim to someone named Etesh

A Russian national, Anatoly Mironov, was arrested by Gujarat police in relation to a digital arrest scam where a businessman was duped of Rs 17 lakh. Mironov, a "gatekeeper" for a cybercrime gang, was involved in laundering proceeds from the crime, converting some of the funds into cryptocurrency. He had entered India on a tourist visa and was previously involved in a similar fraud case in Pune, Maharashtra. The scam began when a city-based businessman reported being extor

In a recent legal development, the vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court, led by Justice Suraj Govindaraj, intervened in the case involving cricketer Robin Uthappa. Uthappa, who is the director of Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt. Ltd., approached the court to challenge the recovery notices and arrest warrant issued against him. The case revolves around allegations of financial mismanagement, where U

 A Bengaluru software engineer was defrauded of Rs 11.8 crore over the span of just 18 days in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam. The victim, a 39-year-old tech professional, filed a complaint with the North-East CEN police station on December 12 after realizing he had been tricked. The scam began when an individual posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer contacted the victim, falsely claiming his Aadhaar-linked SIM card was involved in illegal acti