What Is Digital Arrest And Why Do Indians Keep Falling For It?
Tinder date scams, credit card scams, home loan scams, Microsoft scams, anti-virus scams – Indians can't seem to catch a break. And now, there's a new scam in town and it has left the victims scarred for life. Recently, a Gujarat-based doctor ended up transferring Rs 19 crore after she received a call by the 'authorities" who told her that she had objectionable content on phone. Then the blackmailing began. The doctor, fearing became the victim of a 'digital arrest". The callers disguised themselves as sub-inspector, public prosecutor, among others. These scammers instilled fear in the doctor who began sending out her lifesavings to safeguard herself from a 'money laundering" case.
What Is Digital Arrest?
Digital arrest is a cyber scam where a victim receives calls or emails from fraudsters posing as law enforcement. These callers 'arrest" the unsuspecting victims and blackmail them by extorting money or sharing personal information for the crimes they have not committed. With nowhere to go and cornered by the fear tactics, the victims end up losing money or data to these scammers.
Scammers Go After Big Fish
The aforementioned sensational case of Gujarat doctor losing Rs 19 crore to digital arrest was only the tip of the iceberg. According to reports, the fraudsters, riding high on their catch, even secured a loan against the doctor's gold jewellery. They transferred those funds as well.
Earlier in January, popular social media personality Ankush Bahuguna had revealed that he had become a victim of digital arrest. Recounting the 40 hours of being held 'hostage" by the fraudsters, Bahuguna shared that he was coerced into making financial transactions after they accused him of false accusations.
How could a social media influencer fall for digital arrest asked fans and trolls.
'To everyone saying how could you fall for it it's a scam – It's easy to say but not everybody reacts the same way to panic, not everybody is aware of this scam, so many people have lost lakhs & crores to this scam. These people do research on you & tell you things they know will affect you & that's exactly what happened. I don't wish this on anyone. Stay safe and instead of calling this stupid, make ppl around you aware of it," wrote Bahuguna on Instagram.
Bahuguna revealed that he received an automated call from an international number claiming a cancelled package delivery, prompting him to press 'zero' and connect to a scammer who alleged a package with illegal substances linked to his Aadhar details was sent to China. The scammer warned of a serious crime and an arrest warrant, pressuring a panicked Ankush by claiming there was no time to visit a police station. The representative then offered to connect him directly to the police, exploiting his fear in a digital arrest scam.
Bengaluru Women Forced To Strip
Two women were made to strip on a video call for a 'medical examination" to identify birthmarks and tattoos. The fraudsters, posing as Mumbai cops, recorded their video and started blackmailing them. The two women endured a 9-hour call in what became the digital arrest from hell.
First Conviction
Earlier in July, nine were convicted in a digital arrest by West Bengal court. The convicts were found guilty of duping a retired agricultural scientist of nearly Rs 1 crore.
The accused persons were found guilty under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
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