What is 'digital arrest'?

New Delhi: Recent headlines have been rife with incidents of 'digital arrests' with people being conned out of crores of rupees in some instances by criminals. The problem is so widespread that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it in his 'Maan ki Baat' show on Sunday, warning the nation against this new type of cybercrime.

The modus operandi of a digital arrest sees fraudsters claiming to be officers of an investigative government agency or law enforcement like CBI, Narcotics, RBI, TRAI, customs and tax officials.

They approach the intended target using audio or video calls to first intimidate people and then extort money from them while confining them in one location — most usually the victim's own home — under the false pretense of an 'arrest'. 

In a ‘digital arrest’, victims are tricked into remaining under constant visual surveillance via Skype or other video conferencing platforms until the criminals’ demands are met.

The scammers typically claim that the victim has either sent or has been sent a parcel containing illegal or contraband goods, such as drugs or fake IDs or claim their phone has been misused to conduct illegal operations.

If they appear on video, they can use studios modelled on actual police stations and government offices and wear uniforms of the agency they claim to be representing.

There is also the use of deepfake videos and fake arrest warrants and other such documentation to impersonate officials of law enforcement agencies.

In a digital arrest, a victim can also be told that a close relative or friend is involved in a crime and is now in custody.

For instance, they could claim that a victim’s child has been caught with drugs. To resolve the made-up case, the criminals threaten and intimidate the victim to transfer money to them. Amounts could vary from a few lakhs to crores.