IIT Madras study finds IT experts, bankers and doctors fall for cybercrime too
A computer science professional, a banker, a doctor, a cybersecurity expert -- you might expect such people to spot an online scam quickly. A new IIT Madras study suggests that assumption can be dangerously wrong.
Researchers who interviewed 33 financial cybercrime victims across five Indian cities found that many were highly educated, digitally experienced professionals. Some worked in IT, finance, banking and the public sector, while some even had cybersecurity expertise.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryIT EXPERTS WERE CAUGHT TOOThe study, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications in June 2026, examined victims in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Mumbai. The group included 22 men, 11 women and 12 senior citizens.
The researchers found that many victims had backgrounds in computer science, IT or management, including finance specialisations. Some were also certified cybersecurity professionals. Most were regular users of online banking, smartphones and UPI.
One participant, who worked in IT after studying computer science, told researchers: “I am one who catches cybercriminals, but I snapped here.”
That sentence captures what the researchers found: knowing technology does not automatically protect someone when a scam is designed around human emotions.THE SCAM STARTED WITH A LIFE PROBLEM
The victims were often dealing with difficult circumstances when they were targeted.
Researchers found examples involving a hospitalised child, serious illness in the family, pregnancy, retirement, job searches, workplace stress and worries about elderly parents.
Four recurring triggers emerged: fear, the hope of financial gain, not realising that a scam was underway, and the desire to prove one's worth.
A person looking for a job could be drawn in by an attractive offer. A retiree could be tempted by promises of high investment returns. Someone facing a digital arrest scam could hand over money simply to protect their reputation and family.WHEN FEAR OVERRIDES LOGIC
The most striking finding was psychological.
Victims described experiencing a “brain hack”, “brain freeze” or even “hypnosis”. Under intense fear, urgency, pressure or temptation, they said they struggled to think independently.
One participant recalled: “My brain stopped working and for 15 minutes, I was just acting on his instructions.”
The researchers argue that fraudsters exploit precisely this moment. Their scams often involve authority, time pressure, isolation and constant monitoring, making rational decision-making harder.
Digital arrest scams were one example. Victims were sometimes shown fake police stations, threatened with arrest and instructed to transfer money. In investment scams, fraudsters could first show small gains before pushing victims to put in much larger sums.THE LOSS WAS NOT JUST MONEY
The financial damage ranged from a few thousand rupees to millions. One participant said they had lost Rs 90 lakh.
But the aftermath went beyond bank balances. Victims reported shame, sleeplessness, loss of peace of mind, damaged family relationships and guilt over being deceived despite their education and professional experience.
The researchers, led by IIT Madras professors P Kandaswamy and Nandan Sudarsanam, argue that cybercrime prevention therefore cannot rely only on telling people to “be careful”.
Their study calls for stronger fraud detection, better cybercrime capabilities and closer coordination between banks, police and courts.
The study is qualitative and based on just 33 victims, so its findings cannot represent every cybercrime victim in India. The researchers say they plan a larger multilingual survey covering more cities and communities.- EndsRead | 2 lakh cyberattacks, 4 lakh data breaches in Indian educational sector in 9 monthsRead | Delhi schools to educate students on cybercrime with police-curated brochures
