Cybercrimes in India have taken on an increasingly sophisticated level, with the “digital arrest” scam emerging as one of the most nerve-wracking methods used to exploit victims fears. This scheme sees fake police officers prey on people and extract money or personal details by threatening as if there is a possible arrest warrant on the victim.
These victims have lost large amounts, at times as much as 20 lakh rupees, and conmen are getting more and more creative in their attempts to prey on victims. The growing frequency of these scams underscores the need for public awareness and stricter enforcement of cyber safety measures.
Modus Operandi of the Digital Arrest Scam :
The digital arrest hoax follows a pattern or script to make the threat seem both real and urgent.The victim is called on the phone usually a number the victim doesn’t recognise and the caller identifies himself as a representative of a reputable courier company, like FedEx, DHL, or something of that ilk. The caller tells the victim that there is a suspicious package that has been sent to them under their name, usually purporting to contain illegal substances such as drugs, forged documents, or other smuggled goods, etc. Usually these calls come as automated calls asking you to press the option to reach the officer in charge for further discussions.
Financial Extortion: Masquerading as ‘checking’ the victim’s innocence, fraudsters ask for personal details, from bank numbers to Aadhaar numbers, or even social media logins. Sometimes, these extortionists ask for money transferred online or in cryptocurrency to ‘clear’ the charges. This step often involves multiple payment demands as the scammer pushes the victim to resolve “complications” supposedly uncovered during verification.
Escalation of the Threat: When the victim starts to care, the caller puts them through to a fake policeman. This “official” then adopts a stern/arm-twisting tone, accusing the victim of involvement in criminal activities such as smuggling or money laundering. To increase the sense of panic, the fake policeman might even cite personal information, such as a partial address or ID number, which he sourced from earlier data leaks, and thereby increase the plausibility of the scam.
Psychological Manipulation: The fake policeman continues to build urgency, threatening immediate arrest unless the victim complies with their demands. Victims are told they must cooperate or face severe consequences, leaving them feeling helpless and trapped. Scammers will often insist that the victim remains isolated, advising them not to discuss the situation with family or friends to avoid “compromising the investigation.
Psychological Techniques Used by Scammers:
- Authority & Urgency: Scammers adopt titles, such as ‘Inspector’ or ‘Officer’, to appear as if they have authority, and they often appear in uniform. Victims are rushed into taking action, with scant time to think clearly or check things out.
- Fear & Isolation: Victims are led to think that they are part of a grave crime and are thus subjected to the fear of public humiliation, imprisonment, or astronomical fines. All of this makes people want to just go along without talking to family or friends.
- Trust Building Through Personal Details: By harvesting data procured from dark net and social media public data or via social engineering, scammers make themselves sound plausible and official and induce victims into the illusion that they’re interacting with legitimate police authorities.
Immediate Actions to Take When You’re Targeted:
- End Communication: The initial and most urgent step is to cease all communication with the fake policeman. Avoid engaging further, as scammers are trained to exploit any form of communication to manipulate their targets.
- Reporting the Incident: Report the scam to your local cybercrime unit or police force as soon as possible. India’s cybercrime reporting portal (cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930) provides a straightforward mechanism for reporting online frauds.
- Protect Your Finances: If you submitted bank or credit card details, call your financial institution immediately to protect your accounts. They can arrange for monitoring of suspicious activity; they can freeze accounts or block credit cards as needed.
- Secure Accounts: For any accounts (e.g., email, social media) you shared details of, change passwords and enable two-factor authentication. This helps prevent fake policemen from getting hold of your private information even more.
- Share with loved ones: Tell people you trust what happened, and especially if the scammer told you to keep it to yourself.
Preventive Measures and Safety Tips:
- Verify Any Suspicious Calls: Always be cautious of unexpected calls or messages from unknown numbers claiming to represent a courier service or law enforcement. Hang up and call back the organisation through their official contact information found on verified websites.
- Real Police Officers: Real law enforcement will never ask for personal information, financial information, or money immediately over the phone. Calls that feel hurried or require instant obedience are almost certainly scams.
- Educate Yourself: Talk to friends and family, including the elders who might be most at risk, about digital safety. An understanding of the popular hoaxes is the best deterrent.
- Monitor Your Personal Data Online: Periodically check if your personal information has been compromised in online leaks. There are a number of cybersecurity services that will send notifications if your email or other identifiers are discovered in data breaches.
- Use Security Software: Using cybersecurity tools, anti-fraud, and antivirus software also adds another layer of protection by catching the threat or malicious links before you interact with them.
