Imagine that one day if a police officer calls you and tells you that you have been arrested. No siren is played, no police officer comes to your door, no handcuffs – just a fraudster demands money from you so that you can “safe” yourself from alleged fraud which you have not done.
‘Digital Arrest’ – Where cyber criminals, police and/or government officials are encouraged to give money to the victims by deception. Such cases are now being registered on a large scale in the whole country.
We give information about their cheating methods and provide you the necessary information to keep it safe.
Ways of fraud
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Phone call: The scamsters contact their hunting (target) through a phone or WhatsApp audio/video call. Some? Matters In, the victims are asked to download and install Skype on their devices. Sometimes it can also be an unknown number, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call with ISD code.
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False accusation: The scamsters create a feeling of hurry or fear among their victims and demand them to take action immediately. They may allege that the victim is involved in illegal or criminal activities, such as financial fraud. Along with this, he claims to show evidence.
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Fake notice/warrant: The victims are allegedly forced to share photos of their Aadhaar card. After which he is sent a fake arrest warrant or court notice along with the legal provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Some cases Other fake circulars and notices have also been sent to copy official documents of government agencies, demanding money from the victims.
Master fraudulent: To further establish their validity, scamsters come as police officers such as constables, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and customs officers or judges. They can claim to be officers of the following government agencies:
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Enforcement Directorate (ED)
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Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
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Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
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Income Tax (IT)
Detailed set-up: Scamsters use police or people found in government offices to assure the victims of validity (reality). Reported In this case In, the scamsters rebuilt a courtroom to show a person to a judge, after which he cheated a person for Rs 59 lakh.
Money Transfer: The victims are forced to avoid arrest, free from ‘digital arrests’ or to transfer money in fake accounts to remove fake criminal allegations.
alarm
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Under the Indian Criminal Act, there is no provision for ‘digital arrest’, so no law enforcement or government official can keep you under ‘digital arrest’. It states that the person on the other side is a fraud.
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No law enforcement agent will demand money without proper legal procedures or threatening arrest.
What to do
Stop: Only the scamsters will encourage immediate action by creating panic in you or threatening to suffer serious consequences if their conditions are not accepted. It is important to stay in your way and ask if it can be a scam.
Refuse: Do not share any identity card including Aadhaar, PAN, passport or bank details, or if they claim that they have this detail then confirm it.
Verify: If a person claims to be a police or a government official, ask his name and department. You can search its details online and contact the government or law enforcement agency or local police related to it.
Refuse to give money: No officer demands payment, fine or bail on informal communication channels, so do not transfer any money or share your UPI, card details or one time password (OTP).
Warn the bank: If you have mistakenly given your bank detail to the scamster, then immediately alert the bank so that they can monitor your account for suspicious activity and take necessary action to protect your money.
Report: Report of incident as soon as possible government portal like eye (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/) And do it on National Cyber Crime Helpline No-1930. You can also lodge a complaint at the local police station.
(The purpose of The Quint’s Scamguard initiative is to give information about emerging digital scams, so that you are informed and alert. If you have ever cheated or you have successfully thwarted a scam, then tell us your story. Contact us through WhatsApp on +91999900835 or you should also email at myreport@thequint.com. You can fill and help us to carry on your story.
