Cyber frauds shift to on-call scams, mule networks

Cyber fraudsters in India are shifting from remote device takeover to real-time social engineering, where victims execute transactions under live phone instruction.

Biocatch’s July 2026 report found attempted fraud sessions declined 12% but the value of attempted payments rose 35%, indicating fewer but higher-value attacks.

Mobile banking fraud sessions jumped 67%, with SMS-based scams rising 146% as the primary entry point for active call guidance frauds.

Mule accounts form the backbone of the fraud economy; the CBI identified over 8.5 lakh mule accounts across 700 bank branches in 2025.

Nationally, 26.5 lakh mule cases were logged linked to cyber-fraud complaints worth Rs 22,496 crore, of which Rs 9,055 crore was blocked or declined.