Imagine – you are busy completing your daily tasks, when suddenly you get a call from some unknown person. The caller introduces himself as a senior police officer and accuses you of being involved in a money laundering scheme. While you initially deny the allegations, the caller connects you to a “higher official” who provides more information about the alleged matter. Later, the caller asks you to show yourself to your room and isolate yourself from others until the investigation is completed. By the time the call ends, you are transferring a large sum of money to the bank account details provided by the caller to remove your name from the case.

Does this sound like a crime thriller script? Unfortunately, this has been the reality for many individuals who fell victim to the “digital arrest” scam, and lost significant amounts of money at the hands of fraudsters posing as senior officials. In fact, according to Cyber ​​Cell data, Indians suffered a loss of Rs 1,777 crore due to cyber fraud in the first four months of 2024 alone. Of this, Rs 120 crore was lost to digital arrest scams. What’s even more shocking is that the investigation revealed that 46 percent of these frauds were committed by people based in places like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

Now, if you think that only people unfamiliar with technology fall into such scams, then you are wrong. These digital scams, especially the digital arrest scam, are targeting individuals from different walks of life, including working professionals. In fact, a few weeks ago, Aaj Tak’s senior assistant editor Richa Mishra had shared her story of being a victim of the digital arrest scam. She revealed that it all started with a call from a courier company, which falsely claimed that her Aadhaar number was linked to a parcel containing medicines. The swindler kept her on the phone for a long time, which made her realize that she had been defrauded.

What exactly is the Digital Arrest Scam?

In this scam, cyber fraudsters contact the targeted individuals through calls, SMS or social media platforms. They pretend to be law enforcement officers and falsely accuse victims of crimes such as money laundering, identity theft or other serious crimes. Victims are then threatened with immediate “digital arrest” unless they comply with demands. As the conversation progresses, scammers attempt to extort money or personal information from unsuspecting individuals.

So are scammers taking advantage of the term digital arrest? Not good. In fact, digital arrest is not a legal concept and no such term exists under Indian law. So it appears that this term has been legalized by cyber criminals only and there is nothing of the kind in our criminal law. Essentially, scammers take advantage of psychological pressure on their targets, forcing them to give up money or sensitive information.

How to spot digital arrest scam

So how can you recognize such scams? And is there any way to protect yourself from this vicious cyber fraud? Well this scam happened in stages and in different stages you can understand in different ways that it is a scam.

A suspicious call: In cases of digital arrest, scammers use unofficial phone numbers or email addresses. They pose as officials to initiate legal negotiations. Remember, no law enforcement or police officer will ever initiate legal action through phone or video call.

Pressure Strategy: Scammers create a sense of urgency to cause panic. If someone pressures you to take immediate action – such as claiming you’re under arrest or asking you to keep the matter confidential – it’s probably a scam.

Threats of silence: Scammers often threaten victims not to share details with family or friends, citing “national security” reasons. If something serious is being said on the phone call, it should set off alarm bells.

No demand for money by officials: Legitimate law enforcement officers will never ask for payment over the phone or request sensitive personal information.

Keep calm and report: If you also get such a call then remain calm. Share the details with someone you trust and file a complaint with the cyber cell or police.

But what if you are a victim and have lost your money?

If, unfortunately, you become a victim of such a scam and lose money, don’t lose hope.

Call 1930 immediately: Register your complaint as soon as possible. The sooner you file an FIR, the sooner law enforcement can be alerted to track down the scammers and potentially recover your money.

provide evidence: Collect any evidence, such as screenshots, call recordings, or messages from scammers, that will help you give more details to the authorities and aid in the investigation.