“Digital arrest” you might have heard this term a lot in recent times. Well, it’s a scam that may result in significant financial losses under the guise of “digital arrest. The Cases of digital arrest and cyber crimes are increasing day by day.
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It has become a hot topic in the country. Another such incident involves popular YouTuber and social media influencer Ankush Bahuguna. In digital arrest scams, Victims are accused of crimes like money laundering or tax evasion and coerced into paying to “avoid arrest.” The fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to deceive their victims.
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The problem is so widespread that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it in his ‘Maan ki Baat’ show on Sunday. The PM issued a warning to the public regarding this scam. He urged the people to immediately report any such incidents to the cyber helpline.
PM Modi said, “Beware of digital arrest frauds. There is no system like digital arrest under the law. No government agency will ever contact you via phone or video call for such an investigation”.
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“Digital arrests” do not exist under Indian law, as clarified by Yashasvi Yadav, special inspector general of police for Maharashtra’s Cyber Department. Yadav explained, “Digital arrests are one of the sophisticated scams that even well-educated people, including officers, fall for.” Additionally, the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) has provided a list of methods by which these fraudsters carry out online scams, including the digital arrest scam.
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What Is A Digital Arrest?
Well, in simple words digital arrest is an online scam. The scammers claim to be officers of an investigative government agency or law enforcement. They impersonate the CBI, Narcotics, RBI, TRAI, customs and tax officials.
The scammers intimidate their victims and falsely accuse them of illegal activities trapping them in digital arrest. After intimidation, they demand money from their victims and put them under immense pressure to make the payment.
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For video calls, the fraudsters create a police station-like set-up. This makes the victims fall prey to their trap believing that the call is legitimate. Once the victims comply with their demands and make the payment, the scammers then vanish. They leave the victims to face financial loss and potential identity theft.
The fraudsters make the victims switch to video communication through platforms like WhatsApp and Skype. The scammers then threaten the victims with a fake digital arrest warrant. The scammers use various reasons such as financial misconduct, tax evasion, or other legal violations.
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How Can You Avoid Falling Into A Digital Arrest Scam?
- Avoid accepting fake calls and calls from fake officials who claim that you are in trouble.
- If you are suspicious about the call, verify their identity by directly contacting the relevant agency they are referring to.
- Avoid sharing personal information with unknown people.
- Do not disclose sensitive or financial details over the phone or video calls.
- Always keep in mind that real law enforcement agencies will never ask for payment or banking details.
- The government agencies do not use platforms like WhatsApp or Skype for official communication.
- If you face any such situation immediately report the incident to the local police or cyber crime authorities.
- The most important way to protect yourself from getting scammed is to be aware of recent such incidents.
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Some Recent Cases Of Digital Arrests
The most recent incident is from Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district. A 59-year-old inspector posted at the BSF Academy in Tekanpur was duped over Rs 70 lakh. He was subjected to a ‘digital arrest’ for 32 days. The details were revealed by a police officer on Tuesday.
According to reports, the cyber scammers posed themselves as officials of the Mumbai Cyber Crime Wing and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). They extorted money from the BSF officer by executing various transactions throughout December.
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The incident came to light after the victim lodged an official complaint at Crime Branch Gwalior on Monday. He stated that he was defrauded of Rs 70,29,990 by some unknown persons who posed as officers of the cybercrime wing. He also alleged that the scammers threatened him and his family with arrest.
The second incident is again from Madhya Pradesh but from Mauganj district. Here, a woman allegedly died by suicide as she panicked after getting threatened with arrest by cyber fraudsters. The scammers digitally arrested her. The police on Monday said that the fraudsters told her that a parcel she had sent contained illegal materials.
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The woman is a 35-year-old government guest teacher. She allegedly consumed poison on Sunday evening. The woman was being taken to hospital immediately but died on the way.
Superintendent of Police Rasna Thakur said “Cyber fraudsters were pressuring the woman, a government guest teacher, after claiming a parcel she had sent contained illegal materials. The accused were seeking money from her,”
According to the news agency PTI, the woman’s brother-in-law said cyber fraudsters had placed her under ‘digital arrest”. They made her transfer ₹22,000 and ₹5,500 into accounts the accused gave her the details of. The accused told her she would be arrested if she did not pay money.
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According to an NDTV report, A 90-year-old Gujarat man recently fell victim to an elaborate scam involving fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The scammers deceived the elderly victim into believing he was under a “digital arrest” for alleged involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering. Throughout the scam, the senior citizen was coerced into transferring over Rs 1 crore to the fraudsters.
The Cases of digital arrest and cyber crimes are increasing day by day. It has become a hot topic in the country. Another such incident involves popular YouTuber and social media influencer Ankush Bahuguna.
On Sunday, YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna shared a harrowing experience in a post on Instagram. He revealed how he became a victim of a 40-hour digital arrest scam. After a three-day absence from social media, Bahuguna described how scammers held him hostage.
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What To Do If You Become A Victim Of Digital Arrest?
- If you are a victim of a digital arrest scam, the first and most important thing to note is that Legitimate investigations do not involve payments as a condition for avoiding arrest.
- If you realize you’ve been duped, contact the financial helpline 1930 within 15-20 minutes to freeze any transfer.
- Immediately report your bank and freeze your account.
- File a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
- Always keep whatever evidence you have the call details, video call details, transaction details, messages, etc.
- Try to Seek help from a lawyer if needed.
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