Crime evolves with technology, often faster than the law can follow. That was a recurring theme at Parul University’s ICGCV 2026, where a thematic session on cybercrime and AI-enabled harms, and research across the programme, examined the new frontiers of victimisation. Here is what is emerging.
Artificial intelligence is transforming not only work and creativity but crime. As researchers at the conference discussed, AI now powers increasingly convincing scams, from deepfakes to automated fraud, alongside long-standing threats like phishing, OTP fraud, identity theft, and “digital arrest” scams. The danger of AI-enabled harms is their scale and believability: a fraudulent message or video can now be produced cheaply and convincingly enough to deceive even careful people. Criminology’s task is to understand these harms, who is targeted, how, and why, and to design defences that keep pace with the technology.
Protecting Older Adults in a Digital Age
One group is especially exposed. Research presented at the conference (by students of Kamaraj College, Thoothukudi) examined how rapid digitalisation has left older adults increasingly reliant on technology while also more vulnerable to cybercrime. Drawing on established theories of victimisation, the study identified factors that raise risk, limited digital literacy, social isolation, high levels of trust, and, often, greater accumulated savings, and highlighted the psychological toll of fraud, including fear and embarrassment that can discourage reporting. Its recommendations offer a practical roadmap:
- Senior-focused digital literacy, teaching older adults to recognise scams like phishing, OTP fraud, and fake investments.
- Stronger, easier reporting support, so victims are not deterred by shame or complexity.
- Coordinated action between financial institutions and law enforcement, and closer attention to emerging AI-enabled scams.
When Warfare Goes Digital: The Drone Question
At the frontier of harm sits a starkly modern question. In a thematic session on labour, land, and corporate harms, Ms. Bhavya Jain presented research on “The Proliferation of the Dead: How the Law Reacts to the Victims of Drone Digitality,” examining the legal status and protection of people affected by drone attacks and digital surveillance in modern warfare. The research highlighted a troubling gap: as warfare becomes increasingly remote and digital, the frameworks meant to protect and recognise victims have not kept pace. It is a reminder that emerging technologies raise not only practical but profound legal and ethical questions about accountability, protection, and who counts as a victim.
The Common Thread: Law Racing to Catch Up
Across cybercrime, AI, and drone warfare, one pattern recurs: technology creates new harms faster than legal and social systems can respond, leaving victims underprotected in the gap. Addressing this requires exactly what ICGCV 2026 was built to foster, interdisciplinary collaboration between technologists, lawyers, criminologists, and policymakers, and forward-looking research. For students entering the field, it is also an opportunity: the criminology of emerging technology is one of the most important, and fastest-growing, frontiers in the discipline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are AI-enabled harms in cybercrime?
Today with growing technology crimes are increasing. The crimes are digital today. They are cybercrimes. The AI-enabled harms are crimes and frauds take the help of AI. It takes the help of AI to make the work convincing and scalable. Some of the examples of deepfakes and AI-generated scam messages, alongside threats like phishing, OTP fraud, identity theft, and "digital arrest" scams. The danger grows, and it will be there as it becomes cheaper and how easily it will get produced. Along with their detection becoming harder.
How do older adults get targeted by the cybercriminals?
As the technology is growing, the older section remains unaware about the updates. As today the updates are not given on mainstream media today. Due to which they have limited digital literacy. They have to face social isolation, high level of trust and often greater accumulated savings. Fraud also carries a psychological toll, fear and embarrassment, that can discourage reporting. Researchers recommend senior-focused digital literacy, easier reporting support, and coordinated action by banks and law enforcement.
What legal challenges does drone warfare raise?
Research at ICGCV 2026 highlighted that as warfare becomes increasingly remote and digital, existing legal frameworks have struggled to keep pace with the protection and recognition of people affected by drone attacks. This raises profound questions about accountability and who is recognised as a victim in an era of digital and remote conflict.
![Child protection and juvenile justice, from a thematic session at Parul University’s ICGCV 2026. [H2] Juvenile Justice Protecting Children](https://www.paruluniversity.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/DSC00099-1-300x200.jpg)
