The420 Cyber Crime News Update: Amazon’s Billion-Dollar Anti-Fraud Crusade, Mumbai’s Job Scam Bust & Other Frauds

Amazon Commits Over $1.2 Billion to Fight Marketplace Fraud and Counterfeit

1. Amazon invested over $1.2 billion and employed more than 15,000 individuals in 2023 to combat counterfeit, fraud, and abuse in its marketplace.
2. The company’s Brand Protection Report revealed the prevention of over 700,000 fraudulent attempts to create new selling accounts.
3. Amazon employs advanced technologies like document forgery detection and machine learning-based detection to verify seller identities and thwart counterfeiters.
4. The Counterfeit Crimes Unit, established in 2020, has pursued over 21,000 bad actors through legal actions and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
5. In 2023, Amazon seized and disposed of more than 7 million counterfeit products, safeguarding customers and the retail supply chain.

Mumbai Police Crack Down on International Job Scam Leading to Cyber Fraud in Laos

1. Mumbai Police arrested Jerry Jacob and Godfrey Alvares for their involvement in an international job racket, which deceived many young Indians with fake job offers in Thailand and then illegally transported them to Laos to work in scam call centers.
2. The arrested duo, living in Thailand, allegedly recruited over 100 Indian youths into cyber fraud activities by luring them with attractive job opportunities abroad.
3. They face multiple charges, including human trafficking, cheating, and criminal conspiracy, under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Emigration Act.
4. Victim Sidharth Yadav, along with other recruits, was promised a lucrative job in Laos but ended up being forced into scamming individuals in Europe, the US, and Canada via call centers.
5. The racket operated by sending recruits to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos, exploiting its strategic location to conduct cyber frauds targeting people through fake social media accounts.

ALSO READ: Trapped and Exploited: How 30 Indian Youths Became Victims of a Ruthless International Job Scam

12 Online Fraudsters Arrested for Involvement in Nationwide Cyber Frauds Totaling Rs 18 Crore

1. Police arrested 12 individuals involved in 4,995 cyber frauds across India, swindling over Rs 18 crore from thousands of victims, including cases in Haryana.
2. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’s (I4C) database, which stores extensive details on cybercrime complaints and accused, was instrumental in uncovering the fraudsters’ extensive criminal activities.
3. Arrests included individuals from various states, involved in different schemes such as fake money transfers, investment frauds, and impersonation scams targeting businesspersons, farmers, and private employees.
4. The police were able to link the accused to thousands of cybercrimes nationwide through linkage analysis in the I4C database, discovering their involvement in 267 cybercrime cases.
5. Recoveries from the accused included around Rs 1.7 lakh in cash and 10 mobile phones, with further investigations to inform other states about the implicated individuals.

ALSO READ: US and UK Impose Sanctions on Chinese Hackers Amid Global Cyber Espionage Concerns

Pune Doctor Falls Victim to Rs 1 Crore Cyber Extortion Over Falsely Attributed Drug Parcel

1. A 50-year-old doctor from Baner was manipulated by cyber criminals into paying Rs 1 crore, under the threat of being implicated in a case involving banned substances found in a parcel supposedly linked to him.
2. The criminals forced the doctor to isolate in a hotel and remain on audio calls for continuous ‘surveillance,’ tricking him into transferring his money to what they claimed were ‘government safe accounts.’
3. The extortion scheme involved making the doctor believe his identity was entangled in drug trafficking and money laundering, prompting him to comply with the cyber extortionists’ demands.
4. The scammers employed a ‘drugs in parcel’ scam tactic, exerting heavy manipulation over the doctor in the first week of March, achieving total control over him to siphon off his funds.
5. A police case has been lodged, with ongoing investigations aimed at tracing the money trail to apprehend the accused individuals.

ALSO READ: Indian Cybercrime Epidemic: Criminals Looted Wealth Equivalent to North Korea’s GDP Over 3 Years

Two Nasik Residents Fall Victim to Separate Cyber Frauds, Losing Nearly Rs 49 Lakh

1. Two individuals from Nasik were defrauded out of a total of Rs 49 lakh in separate incidents involving cyber scams.
2. A 28-year-old woman lost Rs 3.9 lakh to an acquaintance from Haryana, who promised to help her recover funds previously lost to cybercriminals but ceased communication after receiving the money.
3. The Mumbai Naka police are investigating the case involving the woman’s loss, where the acquaintance exploited her vulnerability under the guise of helping her.
4. In a separate scam, a retired bank officer was conned out of Rs 45 lakh by someone impersonating a CBI officer, leveraging threats of money laundering charges and arrest.
5. The cyber police are probing the retired bank officer’s case, focusing on the unidentified callers who manipulated him into transferring funds under the pretext of legal trouble.

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