What Are Digital Arrest Scams?
A type of cybercrime where scammers pose as law enforcement officials, claiming victims are involved in crimes, often money laundering or fraud.
Victims are coerced into transferring money to "secure" their assets or avoid arrest.
How Scammers Operate
Scammers use personal information about the victim, sometimes from the dark web, to appear credible.
They call using fake police IDs or video calls, create panic, and demand money urgently, often pretending to have captured the victim's family member.
They may use AI-generated voices to make the scam more convincing.
Impact of Digital Arrest Scams
Thousands of Indians have been duped, losing huge sums of money.
In 2023 alone, ₹19,888 crore in cybercrime-related financial fraud was reported.
Cases often involve complex international networks, with money flowing through multiple bank accounts and even cryptocurrencies.
Prevalence and Global Connections
Many scam operations are based in countries like China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, with Indian scammers recruited to work for foreign operators.
Over 1,300 Indians were rescued from "scam compounds" abroad in 2024.
Many scammers are trained in these compounds on how to manipulate and scam people.
What Can Be Done?
Victims need to stay alert and report suspicious activities immediately.
The I4C cyber crime helpline plays a key role in blocking fraudulent transactions.
Stronger penalties for illegal data sale, enhanced cybersecurity training, and better regulations on personal data sharing are critical.
Law Enforcement Challenges: Limited success in returning defrauded money. For every ₹11,269 crore defrauded, only ₹11.97 crore was recovered by banks.
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