Cable TV
AOL takes fight against phishing gangs to court
MUMBAI: To help battle the rising tide of email phishing scams, devious email hoaxes, and complex identity theft on the Internet, internet company AOL has filed three civil lawsuits against several major phishing gangs in the US.
This is a part of AOL’s wide-ranging efforts to protect the email safety and security of its members. The lawsuits are the first by a major ISP to cite Virginia’s first-in-the-nation anti-phishing statute, adopted in July 2005. The lawsuits also cite applicable Federal laws, including the Federal Lanham Act (trademark law), and the Federal Computer Fraud & Abuse Act (antispam). AOL is seeking total damage awards of $18 million.
AOL’s lawsuits allege that these phishing gangs some believed to operate from abroad – victimised AOL and CompuServe members through emails that attempted to trick and lure them to fake websites of legitimate online companies, for the purpose of fooling them into giving up their personal identifying information, such as AOL screen names, passwords, and credit card information.
AOL senior VP and Deputy General Counsel Curtis Lu says, “Phishing scams have grown more sophisticated and more dangerous to consumers. At AOL, we are using every legal and technical means at our disposal to drive phishers from the AOL service, not only to protect our members, but to make the Internet a better, safer place for all consumers.
“The phishers targetted in our lawsuits spoof a variety of prominent internet brands, including AOL. We are going to continue to play our part in protecting the sanctity and integrity of the email experience of the web and today’s actions are a part of our ongoing, successful, and comprehensive antispam and anti-identity theft work.”
The three lawsuits, filed target aggressive and complex identity thieves who sent official-looking emails to AOL members in an attempt to trick and lure them to websites that mimicked the appearance and feel of official AOL or CompuServe websites. Once directed to one of these fake websites, AOL and CompuServe members were encouraged to enter their screen names, passwords, billing and other financial information.
These phishers could then use this information to traffic in stolen identities, to compromise credit cards and personal identities of innocent internet users and then interfere with their online experience, and for some to steal their identities and assets. According to the lawsuits, these phishing groups used vast resources and creativity to intricately design hundreds and hundreds of fake websites to mislead consumers. AOL has stored tens of thousands of examples of phish emails transmitted by these gangs.
AOL says that phishing is a growing online threat as scammers adapt and refine their fraudulent efforts to trick consumers into giving up personal information. The IRS, for example, is warning of widespread phishing emails as tax filing deadlines near. The Anti-Phishing Working Group (www.apwg.org) found almost 50,000 phishing websites created last year and more than 7,000 in December alone. A 2005 survey of personal computers by AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that 1 of every 4 home computer users are hit by phishing attacks each month.
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
