How to protect yourself from Digital Arrest Fraud

In a digital arrest scam, fraudsters target individuals or businesses, posing as law enforcement or government officials. Victims are threatened with a digital arrest warrant for alleged tax evasion, regulatory violations or financial misconduct. The fraudsters ask for payment in the form of ‘settlement fee’ or ‘penalty’ to withdraw the digital arrest warrant. Once the payment is made, the fraudsters disappear, leaving no trace of their identity. The victims are left with a monetary loss and sometimes an identity theft, due to the personal details shared with the fraudsters.

Cautioning on this fraud, Mr. Manish Agrawal, Senior Executive Vice President – Credit Intelligence and Control – HDFC Bank, said, “Fraudsters are directly targeting the emotions of the customers. When someone receives a call or message from fraudsters claiming to be law enforcement officers, always confirm their identity by independently contacting the government / law enforcement officials via proper channel. Staying vigilant and being aware of such fraudulent practices plays a very important role in avoiding falling prey to such scams.”

Tips to protect yourself from Digital Arrest Fraud

Real government officials or law enforcement agency will never ask for payment or banking details.

Scammers often create a sense of emergency to make you act quickly without thinking.

Do not share sensitive information such as KYC details, bank details like - user ID password, card details, CVV, OTPs or PIN number, with anyone.

Always verify the officer's identity by independently contacting the government official or law enforcement agency.

Look for errors in documents and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Report such suspected fraudulent communication on Department of Telecommunication's Chakshu Portal - www.sancharsaathi.gov.in immediately.

The month of October is observed as the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) globally and in India, with an objective to spread awareness on cyber security among people. This year, the campaign theme is “Cyber Surakshit Bharat” (#SatarkNagrik) which emphasises the importance of being vigilant against online frauds and following secure banking practices.

In the event that a person becomes the victim of any online fraud, they should immediately report the unauthorised transactions to the Bank in order to get the payment channel blocked, i.e., cards/UPI/net banking to safeguard against future losses. Customers should also file a complaint by calling 1930 helpline number started by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as well as submit a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal https://www.cybercrime.gov.in