E-commerce terrorism: How did the Terrorists use E-Commerce to terrorize India?

International News: The FATF, which keeps an eye on terror financing around the world, has shown how terrorists exploit e-commerce sites and online payment providers to plan attacks. In its findings, FATF referred to the Gorakhnath temple tragedy and the Pulwama terror attack. State-sponsored terrorism was another topic covered by the organization. It claimed that governments have been providing financial and other forms of support to certain terrorist groups. The Pulwama incident in 2019 claimed the lives of 40 soldiers. An attempt to enter the Gorakhnath temple was also made on April 3, 2022.

FATF's statement

"Delegations reported that state-sponsored terrorist financing is used either as a fundraising technique or as part of the financial management strategy of some organizations involved in terrorist acts. A variety of forms of support have been reported, including direct financial assistance, logistical and material support, or the provision of training," FATF said. 

The April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam was criticized by the FATF in June, stating that financial support was necessary for such acts to have occurred. It promised to provide a thorough examination of terrorism financing by collecting cases from its 200 jurisdictions worldwide.

Pakistan to be put on grey list, says India

Pakistan has been accused by Indian officials on numerous occasions of continuing to sponsor terrorists and using the money to buy weapons. India has been accusing Pakistan of giving terrorists a place to hide. India feels that Pakistan should be placed on the FATF grey list as a result of its conduct. According to the FATF research, terrorists are abusing internet marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. They have also been known to buy weapons and 3D-printed materials using these platforms.

Attempted intrusion in Goraknath Temple

The FATF used the incident of an attempted intrusion into the Gorakhnath temple as an example, where a man influenced by the ideology of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked security personnel and was arrested, as a case study on the use of VPNs and online payment services to finance terrorist acts. 
According to financial investigations, the man used international third-party transactions and VPN services to conceal IP addresses in order to transfer Rs 669,841 (US$7,685) to other nations via PayPal in support of ISIL. Additionally, he got Rs 10,323.35 (US$188) from an outside source.