AI tools at the forefront of cybercrime: Report
The report by GIREM and Tekion highlights how there has been a steady increase in cyber crimes in India with AI tools being deployed by the criminals.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now at the forefront of cybercrime, and are involved in nearly eight out of every 10 phishing campaigns. India alone registered a loss of $2.78 billion in digital frauds in 2024, according to a report.
The report, titled 'The State of AI-Powered Cybercrime: Threat & Mitigation Report 2025', done jointly by GIREM (Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management) and automotive SaaS company Tekion, said cyber criminals are using AI tools to deploy well-crafted phishing emails to hotel chains and restaurants, often mimicking trusted brands using AI-generated templates. Beyond email text, AI is used to spin up realistic dashboards, register typo-squatting domains, and create dynamic, interactive phishing pages, making these attempts far more convincing and effective.
According to the report, India registered over 1.91 million cybercrime complaints in 2024, up from 1.55 million in 2023, reflecting a tenfold jump since 2019. Financial fraud remains the dominant motive, with Indian citizens losing $2.78 billion to cybercrime in 2024, nearly three times the losses recorded in 2023 and almost ten times that of 2022.
Tekion Corp Founder and CEO Jay Vijayan said, “The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. Cybersecurity is not a nice-to-have; it is a necessary pillar for resilience for every individual and organisation."
Today, dealing with cybercrime has become the topmost priority for the country, as India is projected to have over 900 million internet users by 2025.
The report said India ranks as the second most targeted nation globally for crypto attacks in 2024, with 95 incidents, following the US. The country has also witnessed significant year-on-year increases in malware (11%), ransomware (22%), Internet of Things (IoT) attacks (59%), and an overall staggering 409% surge in crypto attacks.
Unfortunately, the biggest impact from these cyber attacks are vulnerable sections of society like senior citizens, women and children.
Edited by Jyoti Narayan