Understanding digital arrest: How police are fighting against online fraud

Mumbai Police recently came across a complaint where a businessman from the western suburbs of the city was defrauded of Rs 80 lakh and was asked to be isolated for around 24 hours, for a crime he did not commit after being told over a call that he was under ‘digital arrest'. Shocked, upon learning about the lesser-known term, the man kept doing as the fraudsters asked him to do and ended up transferring over Rs 80 lakh to them in just 24 hours.

According to the cybercrime cell of the Mumbai Police, on October 5, the officials from the Mumbai Police Cyber Helpline 1930 intervened in multiple cases of cyber fraud, including the "Digital Arrest" scam, and prevented a total loss of over Rs. 1.01 crore among which was a case of the businessman who was duped of Rs 80 lakh.

Inspector Mangesh Bhor of the Mumbai Police cybercrime cell told mid-day.com, "We received a call on our dedicated Cyber Helpline number 1930 where the officials were informed about a case of digital arrest, a term which is something cyber fraudsters use to dupe people by threatening them after posing as officials from top government investigation agencies. The officials took note of the complaint and immediately began to investigate it. The police officials were quickly able to find out the account details of the suspects and not only stopped the victim from being duped further but were also able to make the recovery of the amount that had been already transferred to the cyber fraudsters."

He said that the Mumbai Police successfully saved Rs 1.01 crore (Rs. 1,01,58,727) from fraudsters within 24 hours in different cases. This achievement highlights the continued efforts of the Mumbai Police to safeguard citizens from cybercrimes.

He added that in 2024 alone the 1930 cyber helpline of Mumbai Police has saved a total amount of Rs.114 crore, adding that the citizens are urged to report cyber frauds.

While explaining the fraud by using the digital arrest trick, an official said, "Arrest, the word itself can scare a person and this is what the fraudsters do in digital arrest fraud. For instance, a person would receive a call from an unknown number it could also be a video call and the caller would first introduce himself as an officer from the police force, CBI, Income Tax department, or any other investigation agency probing a case. The fraudster would then narrate a crime and brief about how the victim's involvement would lead to a jail term, legal proceedings, etc and then offer help to the person to save his/her reputation from being damaged."

He added that the cyber fraudster would then inform that an investigation is underway and until the completion of the investigation he/she has been placed under digital arrest, a term that no official government agency can legally apply for a person since arrest is always physically done by a law enforcement agency.

He further said that there have also been cases, where people were told their official government documents, were misused or they have been part of a gang involved in laundering money to scare them and make them agree to the cyber criminals' demands. They would then inform the person to immediately isolate themselves or lock themselves inside a room, keep their phone on charging so that the battery does not drain and listen clearly to what is next is to be done. They even told the victims to keep their video mode on their phones and to not communicate with anyone else until he/she was on the call with them or the local police would reach their house within minutes to physically take the victim in custody.

"The fraudsters, to keep them person occupied make the victim talk to multiple people who claim to be senior officers of the department, investigating officers and even the official of a top rank in the department.

After scaring a person with a digital arrest, the fraudsters begin the money transfer process and ask the victim to transfer money so that they can remove their names from the case. They either ask them to make online transactions using UPI, etc or they ask for details of their bank accounts stating that they want to verify the details as part of investigations. They then use the OTP sharing method to dupe the victim," the official said.

A police officer explained that for such cybercrimes, the golden hour can be crucial in quickly recovering the money, the quicker a complainant reaches out to the police, the chances are to make the recoveries.

"We have systems in place, the money can be reversed through the bank during the golden hour, meaning before it is withdrawn or transferred further to other accounts, the transaction can be stopped or even reversed, provided the complainant or a victim of cyber fraud brings it to the notice of the authorities immediately. However, the best practice is to stay alert and avoid the calls which they may feel could be a potential scam. A law enforcement agency never uses the term digital arrest. If a person is to be arrested is done through a legal process and through documents," an official said.

However, with rising cases of digital arrest and in a bid to educate citizens about the implications of digital footprints, the police have launched an extensive awareness campaign on "digital arrest."

The Navi Mumbai Police in Maharashtra has been running awareness campaigns against digital arrest scams.

In one of their recent social media post, the Navi Mumbai Police cybercrime cell wrote, "Received a call, message or an email saying that you have been arrested for a crime or any of your relatives has been caught with something illegal? These are fake officials trying to scam you, stay alert and never respond to such calls or messages."

Bhor said, "The Mumbai Police has a dedicated cybercrime cell number in place and to get immediate assistance one can reach out for help. Moreover with changing trends of cyber crimes, people must never share their details including official government documents or bank details over calls to be safe."