New crimes, old tools: On holding cyber fraudsters accountable  

At the Conference of Director Generals of Police last weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the growing menace of cybercrime in India, particularly digital frauds and non-consensual intimate deepfakes. Unlike traditional crimes like petty theft, organised digital frauds are not merely the work of financially desperate individuals; they represent a new class of criminals equipped with a variety of tools. Vulnerable telecom infrastructure — ill-prepared for the overwhelming volume of calls and messages from malicious fraudsters — creates fertile ground for cybercrime. These criminals also employ ingenious techniques that constantly stay a step ahead of underprepared law enforcement and security systems. More troubling is the strong network of relationships these fraudsters cultivate with local police in key hotspots, which enables them to carry out their activities with a sense of impunity. The consequences of this rampant cybercrime are grave. Thousands of ordinary citizens face the constant threat of losing their life savings after a single ill-advised phone call or message. It is therefore encouraging that the highest levels of government are addressing this critical issue and pushing for action from those most equipped to combat it.

But talk alone will not solve the problem. It is crucial to pursue aggressive prosecutions with integrity, transparency, and wide publicity. The growing number of these criminals is both a threat and an opportunity: while their continued operations reflect poorly on the law enforcement and public safety apparatus, it also provides a window for significant breakthroughs in investigations and successful convictions. Holding these fraudsters accountable sends an important message — this is not a simple “call centre job” with questionable ethics, but a serious crime that is not worth the risk. Public awareness is another powerful tool in combating cybercrime. Cyber fraudsters constantly evolve their methods and adopt new personas to deceive unsuspecting victims. Alerting the public — repeatedly, creatively, and patiently — that they are at risk of losing money to fraudsters is an essential policy intervention. A little healthy scepticism could prevent many people from falling prey to scams. As the government pushes for universal banking and greater access to digital services, it is critical that these advances do not become vulnerabilities for ordinary people. The issue of non-consensual intimate imagery is also pressing. With advances in artificial intelligence, criminals can now use deepfake technology to place ordinary individuals’ faces into pornographic content, causing great harm. But it is a matter of some comfort that though these crimes are new, the tools to combat them remain familiar: a mix of awareness and preventive measures.