Organised Crime stories

AI-driven romance scams now cost UK victims GBP £20.5 million, spreading from dating sites to everyday apps and evading bank checks.

UK romance scam losses top GBP £106m as organised fraudsters exploit Valentine’s surge, with average victims losing more than GBP £11,000.

Kerala Police stage 660-plus raids in major P-Hunt drive against online child abuse, seizing 431 devices and making 26 arrests.

Dark web ‘fraud superstores’ expand slick services but LexisNexis research finds AI liveness and deepfake checks still foil many scams.

DSi Compliance taps former police captain David Whipple to spearhead North American growth and expand DS-Keywords in US law enforcement.

BioCatch posts record ARR above $185 million as it adds 90 banks, blocks $4 billion in fraud and expands its global trust network.

NCC flags fourth straight monthly rise in ransomware attacks and growing efforts by major gangs to recruit insiders and cyber staff.

Ransomware gangs are stepping up efforts to recruit insiders, warns NCC Group, as December 2025 attacks jump 13% to 784 globally.

Ransomware gangs shrank in number but hit more victims in late 2025, with leak-site postings soaring despite fewer active groups.

Rob Demain warns that cyber campaigns on critical infrastructure are demanding behaviour-led defence over compliance.

Fortinet will use Davos to push cross-sector incentives for cyber intel sharing, accountability and deterrence in a booming crime ecosystem.

Credit card fraud now has the UK’s highest repeat-offending rate, with 23% of perpetrators striking again as schemes grow more organised.

iProov and HYPR partner to embed biometric liveness checks into workforce onboarding, tackling deepfake and synthetic identity fraud.

Dark web vendors sell UK ID packs for about USD $30, helping criminals bypass biometric checks at banks and fintechs, AMLTRIX warns.

Agentic AI tools from Targa Telematics cut UK fleet vehicle thefts by 12% in 2025, saving operators up to EUR €2 million a year.

Banks are set to embed AI deep into payment systems by 2026, slashing costs as fraud surges and pressure mounts on platforms and regulators.

Linxens has launched Hint, a hidden sensor for e-passports and ID cards that alerts border checks to deliberate chip tampering and fraud.

Auror opens a new global headquarters in central Auckland as it scales overseas and steps up efforts to combat organised retail crime.

Music tech boss Con Raso predicts AI, anti-fraud tools and fan-powered models will reshape streaming, gaming and DSP catalogues by 2026.

HP warns of rising AI-driven cyber threats by 2026, including increased cookie theft and attacks on device and identity security in organisations.