#FactCheck- Old 2019 Video Falsely Shared as Iran Seizing US Ship in Hormuz

Introduction

Most people who lose money to an online scam do the same thing first. They stare at the bank message and try to work out whether it can still be undone. Sometimes it can, but only if the right people move within hours. In Delhi, once the amount crosses ₹50 lakh, those people sit in a unit most residents have never heard of: the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit, known as IFSO.

The scale explains why it exists. Delhi residents lost close to ₹1,000 crore to cyber fraud in 2025, after roughly ₹1,100 crore in 2024, and police counted at least 376 cases in 2025 in which a single victim lost more than ₹50 lakh. Investment scams, boss impersonation and "digital arrest" calls, in which fraudsters pose as police, CBI or courier officials and convince a victim that they are under investigation, topped the list.

Where IFSO came from

IFSO's roots go back to February 2019, when the then Union Home Minister inaugurated the National Cyber Forensic Lab alongside a Delhi Police cybercrime unit called CyPAD. CyPAD was later renamed IFSO, and for years it worked inside the Special Cell, the force's counter-terror and organised crime wing. On 3 December 2025, an order approved by the Commissioner of Police made it a standalone unit, with all its personnel reporting directly to a Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO). By then the city also had dedicated cyber police stations in all 15 districts, which matters for what follows.

Who takes which case

Delhi Police sorts cyber fraud by the amount lost.

The split came with a change that matters to ordinary victims. From 1 November 2025, anyone who has lost ₹1 lakh or more can have an e-FIR registered at the Integrated Help Desk of any police station in the capital, down from a ₹10 lakh threshold earlier. Smaller losses still go through the 1930 helpline and the national portal. In practice, then, the amount decides who takes the case after you report, not which door you walk through.

What IFSO actually does

It chases the money, fast. Stolen funds rarely stay put. They hop through chains of "mule" accounts within minutes. When a victim reports and supplies transaction details, IFSO starts what police call lien marking, asking banks to put a hold on the money. According to the unit's DCP, Delhi Police managed to hold nearly 20 per cent of defrauded funds in 2025, almost double the share in 2024.

It works across state lines and borders. In October 2026, IFSO was reported to have broken a syndicate with handlers in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, arresting 11 people. In the same operation, working with Andhra Pradesh Police, it helped secure ₹7.25 crore from the ₹10.25 crore taken from a 79-year-old man in Vijayawada, and put a hold on a further ₹1.96 crore. The network was linked to 78 complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, across several states, involving about ₹73 crore.

It tries to intervene before the money is gone. Reports describe a financial monitoring wing that identifies potential victims while a scam is still unfolding. In one round of interventions it reportedly helped prevent about ₹1.53 crore in losses across five states, including an elderly man held in fear by a "digital arrest" for 14 days.

It brings the forensic muscle. Reporting describes IFSO as home to a cybercrime lab whose services are available to police forces in other states, which is part of why complex, multi-state cases land with it.

If it happens to you or someone you know

Time is the one thing you cannot get back, so the order matters.

1. Call the national cyber helpline, 1930, immediately, and tell your bank at the same time.
2. File the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. In Delhi, if the loss is ₹1 lakh or more, you can also have an e-FIR registered at any police station's help desk.
3. Keep everything: transaction IDs, account numbers, the scammer's phone numbers, screenshots, chats, call logs. Do not delete the app or the conversation.
4. Do not pay anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee. Delhi Police advice is blunt: do not join online investment groups, do not install unknown .apk files, and do not transfer money without verification.

Why the First Hour Counts

Picture the money after a scam. It rarely sits in one place. Within hours it is usually split across several “mule” accounts, then withdrawn or pushed onward, sometimes into crypto. That is the whole reason 1930 exists.

The helpline is run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Home Ministry, around the clock. When you call, the details go into a system called CFCFRMS, which alerts whichever bank or wallet is holding the money at that moment and asks it to freeze the amount before it moves again. Under a procedure issued on 2 January 2026, the call itself is handled by the police of your own state.

The numbers are large. By 30 June 2026, the Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha, more than ₹11,158 crore had been “saved” across over 32.80 lakh complaints. Read that word carefully, though: “saved” means held by banks, not handed back. Getting it back is a separate step, and a Money Restoration Module, live since April 2026, was built to speed that up.

A change to watch: D4C

On Tuesday, 25 August 2026, the Delhi Government approved a new body, the Delhi Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (D4C), meant to be the nodal agency for cyber fraud under the Commissioner of Police, with a command centre at Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road working around the clock. Hindi reporting at the time said IFSO would be merged into it. IFSO's investigation wing, the digital investigation lab, the training and awareness centre, the 1930 helpline control room in Haiderpur and a Fraud Mitigation Centre, where bank representatives are to sit alongside police, would all come under D4C, and the 15 district cyber stations would work to its directions. English coverage noted that how the two bodies relate had not been fully explained.

For a victim the advice does not change: report first through 1930 or the portal, and let the system route the case. What may change is the name on the door.

The takeaway

Policing can claw money back only while it is still traceable, and that window is measured in hours. IFSO's record shows what a specialist unit can do inside it. The rest of the work belongs to the rest of us: verify before paying, report early, and never be embarrassed to call 1930.

References

1. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/delhi-police-lowers-e-fir-threshold-for-cyber-fraud-cases-to-1-lakh/
2. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/delhiites-lose-rs-1000-crore-to-cyber-frauds-in-2025/amp
3. https://thepatriot.in/crime/over-7000-arrested-in-delhi-polices-biggest-cybercrime-crackdown-86937
4. https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/12/04/des90-dl-ifso-separation.html
5. https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/delhi/delhi-police-busts-digital-arrest-syndicate-with-foreign-links-11-arrested-rs-7-25-crore-saved-1503650650.html
6. https://www.newshubonline.com/delhi-police-foil-cyber-fraud-attempts-worth-%E2%82%B91-53-crore-across-five-states-rescue-senior-citizens-from-digital-arrest-scams/
7. https://www.bwpoliceworld.com/article/delhi-police-will-now-host-d4c-instead-of-ifso-to-tackle-cybercrime-621038
8. https://www.saahassamachar.in/big-action-on-cyber-fraud-in-delhi-new-d4c-center-will-work-24-hours
9. https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/delhi-police-d4c-to-have-dedicated-unit-for-school-bomb-threat-emails-online-crimes-against-women-and-children20260831103631/

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AI systems have grown in both popularity and complexity on which they operate. They are enhancing accessibility for all, including people with disabilities, by revolutionising sectors including healthcare, education, and public services.  We are at the stage where AI-powered solutions that can help people with mental, physical, visual or hearing impairments perform everyday and complex tasks are being created. 

Generative AI is now being used to amplify human capability. The development of tools for speech-to-text and image recognition is helping in facilitating communication and interaction for visually or hearing-impaired individuals, and smart prosthetics are providing tailored support. Unfortunately, even with these developments, PWDs have continued to face challenges. Therefore, it is important to balance innovation with ethical considerations aand ensuring that these technologies are designed with qualities like privacy, equity, and inclusivity in mind. 

Access to Tech: the Barriers Faced by PWDs 

PWDs face several barriers while accessing technology. Identifying these challenges is important as they lack computer accessibility, in the use of hardware and software, which has become a norm in life nowadays. Website functions that only work when users click with a mouse, self-service kiosks without accessibility features, touch screens without screen reader software or tactile keyboards, and out-of-order equipment, such as lifts, captioning mirrors and description headsets, are just some difficulties that they face in their day-to-day life.

While they are helpful, much of the current technology doesn’t fully address all disabilities. For example, many assistive devices focus on visual or mobility impairments, but they fall short of addressing cognitive or sensory conditions. In addition to this, these solutions often lack personalisation, making them less effective for individuals with diverse needs. AI has significant potential to bridge this gap. With adaptive systems like voice assistants, real-time translation, and personalised features, AI can create more inclusive solutions, improving access to both digital and physical spaces for everyone.

The Importance of Inclusive AI Design

Creating an Inclusive AI design is important. It ensures that PWDs are not excluded from technological advancements because of the impairments that they are suffering from. The concept of an ‘inclusive or universal’ design promotes creating products and services that are usable for the widest possible range of people.  Tech Developers have an ethical responsibility to create advancements in AI that serve everyone. Accessibility features should be built into the core design. They should be treated as a practice rather than an afterthought. However, bias in AI development often stems from data of a non-representative nature, or assumptions can lead to systems that overlook or poorly serve PWDs. If AI algorithms are trained on limited or biased data, they risk excluding marginalised groups, making ethical, inclusive design a necessity for equity and accessibility.

Regulatory Efforts to Ensure Accessible AI

In India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 impresses upon the need to provide PWDs with equal accessibility to technology. Subsequently, the DPDP Act of 2023 highlights data privacy concerns for the disabled under section 9 to process their data. 

On the international level, the newly incorporated EU’s AI Act mandates measures for transparent, safe, and fair access to AI systems along with including measures that are related to accessibility. 

In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are the primary legislations that work on promoting digital accessibility in public services.

Challenges in implementing Regulations for AI Accessibility for PWDs

Defining the term ‘inclusive AI’ is a challenge. When working on implementing regulations and compliance for the accessibility of AI, if the primary work is left undefined, it makes the task of creating tools to address the issue an issue. The rapid pace of tech and AI development has more often outpaced legal frameworks in development. This leads to the creation of enforcement gaps. Countries like Canada and tech industry giants like Microsoft and Google are leading forces behind creating accessible AI innovations. Their regulatory frameworks focus on developing AI ethics with inclusivity and collaboration with disability rights groups. 

India’s efforts in creating an inclusive AI include the redesign of the Sugamya Bharat app. The app had been created to assist PWDs and the elderly.  It will now be incorporating AI features specifically to assist the intended users. 

Though AI development has opportunities for inclusivity, unregulated development can be risky.  Regulation plays a critical role in ensuring that AI-driven solutions prioritise inclusivity, fairness, and accessibility, harnessing AI’s potential to empower PWDs and contribute to a more inclusive society.

Conclusion

AI development can offer PWDs unprecedented independence and accessibility in leading their lives. The development of AI while keeping inclusivity and fairness in mind is needed to be prioritised. AI that is free from bias, combined with robust regulatory frameworks, together are essential in ensuring that AI serves equitably. Collaborations between tech developers, policymakers, and disability advocates need to be supported and promoted to build AI systems. This will in turn work towards bridging the accessibility gaps for PWDs. As AI continues to evolve, maintaining a steadfast commitment to inclusivity will be crucial in preventing marginalisation and advancing true technological progress for all.

References

• https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/over-1-4k-accessibility-related-complaints-filed-on-govt-app-75-solved-124090800118_1.html 
• https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/06/16/empowering-individuals-with-disabilities-through-ai-technology/ .
• https://hbr.org/2023/08/designing-generative-ai-to-work-for-people-with-disabilities ‍
• Thehttps://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2018/05/07/using-ai-to-empower-people-with-disabilities/andensur,personalization

Introduction

In the multifaceted world of international trade and finance, cross-border transactions constitute the heart of economic relationships that span the globe. The threads that intertwine forming the fabric of global commerce are ceaselessly dynamic and exhibit an intricate pattern of complexity especially when it comes to the regulated movement of capital. It's a domain where economies connect, where businesses engage in sublime commerce, and where technology and regulation intersect at critical juncture. These guidelines will play a critical role in the regulation of capital, fortification of financial integrity, and transparency of regulatory and cross-border payments. The key highlights of this regulation include strict pre-authorization for non-bank entities, mandating specific accounts for import and export PA-CBs and a transaction ceiling of 25,00,000 Rupees.

The Vigilance of RBI 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), ever vigilant in its shepherding role over the nation's financial stability and integrity, has taken decisive strides to dispel the haze that once clouded this critical sector. With the issuance of a revelatory circular dated October 31, 2023, the RBI has unveiled a groundbreaking framework that redefines the terrain for these pivotal financial entities, aptly christened as Payment Aggregators – Cross Border (PA-CB). In deploying this comprehensive array of regulations, the RBI demonstrates a robust commitment to harmonizing and synchronizing the oversight of payments within the country's financial fabric, extending its meticulous regulatory weave from domestic Payment Aggregators (PAs) to the PA-CBs, a sector previously undistinguished in formal oversight.

The prescriptive measures announced by the RBI are nothing short of a regulatory beacon that cuts through the fog of uncertainty, illuminating a clear path forward for entities dedicated to facilitating cross-border payment transactions pertaining to the import and export of permissible goods and services in India through online modes. Inclusiveness is a hallmark of the RBI’s directive, encompassing a diverse cadre of financial actors, ranging from Authorized Dealer (AD) banks and conventional Payment Aggregators (PAs), to the emergent breed of PA-CBs actively engaged in processing these critical international payment transactions.

Key Aspects of Regulation

One of the most striking aspects of this new regulatory regime is the RBI's insistence on pre-authorization. All non-bank entities providing PA-CB services are impelled to apply to the apex bank for authorisation by April 30, 2024. This is far from a perfunctory gesture; it represents a profound departure from the bygone era when these entities functioned under a patchwork of provisional guidelines and ad-hoc circulars. Indeed, with this resolute move, the RBI signals its intention to embrace these entities within its direct regulatory gambit, an acknowledgement of the shifting tides and progressive intricacies characteristic of cross-border payments.

The tapestry of new rules is complex, setting forth an array of prerequisites for entities aspiring for authorization. For instance, non-bank PA-CBs are obliged to register with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) as a preliminary step before commencing the application process. Moreover, the financial benchmarks set are notably rigorous. Non-banks must boast a minimum net worth of ₹15 crores at the time of the application—a figure that escalates to a robust ₹25 crores by the fiscal deadline of March 31, 2026.

Way Forward

As if these requirements weren't indicative enough of the RBI’s penchant for detail and precision, the guidelines become yet more granular when addressing specific types of PA-CBs. Import-only PA-CBs are mandatorily obliged to maintain an Import Collection Account (ICA) with an AD Category-I scheduled commercial bank, while export-only PA-CBs are instructed to maintain an Export Collection Account (ECA), which can be maintained in Indian Rupees (INR) or any permissible foreign currency. The nuance here is palpable; payments for import transactions must be received in a meticulously managed escrow account of the PA, prior to being funneled into the ICA for smooth settlement with overseas merchants.

Conversely, export-only PA-CBs' proceeds from international sales must be swiftly credited to the relevant currency ECA. This meticulous accounting ensures that the flow of funds is both transparent and traceable, adhering to the utmost standards of financial probity.

Yet, perhaps the most emphatic of the RBI's pronouncements is the establishment of a transaction ceiling. PA-CBs have their per-transaction limit capped at ₹25,00,000 for each unit of goods or services exchanged. This calculated move is transparent in its objective to mitigate risk—a crucial aspect when one considers the potential implications of these transactions on the country’s fiscal health and the integrity of its financial systems.

It is no exaggeration to declare that with these guidelines, the RBI is effectuating a seismic shift in the regulation of cross-border payment transactions. There's a fundamental transformation taking place—a metamorphosis—from a loosely defined existence of PA-CBs to one of distinct clarity, under the direct and unswerving supervisory gaze of the regulator. The compliance burden, indeed, has become heavier, yet the return is a compass that points decisively towards secure harbours.

As we embark upon the fresh horizons that these rules bring into view, it is imperative to acknowledge that the RBI's regulatory innovations represent far more than a mere codification of dos and don'ts. They embody a visionary stride towards safeguarding and fortifying the architecture of international payments, a critical component of India's burgeoning presence on the world economic stage.

Conclusion 

The journey ahead, as we navigate these newly charted waters with the RBI's guidelines as our steadfast North Star, will no doubt be replete with challenges, adaptations and learning curves for the array of operational entities. But it is with confidence we can say, the path is set; the map is clear. The complex labyrinth of cross-border financial transactions is now demystified, and the RBI's clarion call beckons us towards a future marked by regulation, security, and above all else, reliability in the cosmopolitan tapestry of global trade. RBI’s guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for standardizing cross-border financial transactions in India. This decision is a monumental step towards maintaining cyber peace in cyberspace. 

References:

• https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12561&Mode=0
• https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en/pages/tax/articles/tax-alert-Regulation-of-payment-aggregator-cross-border-pa-cb.html
• https://www.jsalaw.com/newsletters-and-updates/rbis-new-guidelines-to-govern-payment-aggregators-in-cross-border-transactions/ 

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