CERT-In Warns AI-Powered Hacker Group Is Hitting India's Crypto and Fintech Firms

India’s CERT-In issued a Critical-rated November 4 warning naming an AI-assisted threat actor, CRAFTY FALCON, which has been stealing wallet keys from crypto exchanges and triggering unauthorized transfers through fintech payment systems, with financial firms continuing to report successful attacks. The advisory marks a formal escalation by the national cyber agency against a group whose AI tooling appears to be widening the attack surface across both digital-asset and payments infrastructure. The warning matters because wallet-key theft strikes directly at custody, while unauthorized payment transfers expose settlement rails that connect crypto venues to mainstream finance. Firms should watch for further CERT-In updates and disclosures from affected exchanges and fintechs on the scope of losses and remediation.