From deepfakes to crime-as-a-service! AI has become cybercriminals' most dangerous weapon, driving digital attacks.

Artificial Intelligence: While Artificial Intelligence has made the world faster and smarter, this technology has also given new strength to cybercrime.

Artificial Intelligence: While artificial intelligence has made the world faster and smarter, this technology has also given cybercrime a new impetus.

Hacking and online fraud are no longer small-scale incidents, but have become large-scale industrial operations run by organized gangs.

At the Global CyberPeace Summit 2026, Rajesh Kumar, CEO of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), stated that cyberattacks recorded during 2024–2025 will see widespread use of AI and automation. The I4C, which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, provides a coordinated framework for the country's agencies to combat cybercrime.

 

Criminal gangs operating in a corporate style

Cybercriminals no longer operate as small gangs, but in organized structures like companies. These networks are divided into different departments, operating from Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of India.

 

These gangs have recruitment teams, people who oversee salaries and promotions, and even research and development units. These teams exploit the shortcomings of technology and the weaknesses of human behavior.

AI plays a big role in social engineering.

While many cyberattacks still rely on social engineering, they are now being significantly enhanced by AI. Fake SMS and WhatsApp messages are being crafted using automated scripting and personalization, making them appear incredibly authentic and believable. AI allows criminals to target thousands of people simultaneously, significantly increasing the scope of fraud.

The rising global cost of cybercrime

According to the report, cybercrime is projected to cost the world approximately $10.8 trillion in 2025, a figure that could reach nearly $12 trillion this year. Several international think tanks claim that AI now plays some role in approximately 80 percent of cyberattacks.

New tactics like deepfakes and digital arrests

AI is now also being used in deepfake technology. In cases like digital arrests, criminals use a fake face and voice of a well-known police officer to scare victims into believing they are talking to a real officer.

Triple Extortion and the Threat of Crime-as-a-Service

A triple extortion model has now emerged in cybercrime. In this, data is first locked with ransomware and then extorted with the threat of leaking it. Furthermore, the trend of crime-as-a-service is also rapidly growing. In this, organized gangs facilitate crime even for those without technical knowledge. In other words, pay money and receive a ready-made cybercrime service.

 

According to experts, even senior government officials have fallen victim to fraud in such cases.

Clearly, AI has made cybercrime more organized, faster, and more dangerous than ever before.