What is Digital Arrest and How to Avoid Falling Victim? (Photo: Punjab Police)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned citizens of a rising cyber scam known as “Digital Arrest” during the Mann Ki Baat radio program.
The Prime Minister urged the citizens to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. Modi also said that there is no system like digital arrest under the law.
According to data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Indians lost Rs 11,333 crore to cyber fraud in the first nine months of 2024.
According to a report, the digital arrest has affected over 90,000 Indian families.
What is Digital Arrest?
Digital Arrests are a new form of cyber fraud where criminals pose as law enforcement officials to exhort money from their victims.
How does it Works?
The criminals pose as law enforcement officials from CBI, Income Tax , Customs and make video or phone calls to victims and threaten them with digital arrest warrants. The victims are convinced by the criminals that they are involved in criminal activities and victims are asked to pay huge sums of money inorder to avoid arrest or jail time. Once the victim pays the money, the scammer vanishes.
How to avoid it?
- Always remember that law enforcement officials will never ask for payment or bank details.
- Report immediately to law enforcement of suspicious calls. Law enforcement officials do not use WhatsApp or Skype for official communication.
- Verify the identity of the person claiming to be a law enforcement official by contacting the agency they refer to or using official websites and contact numbers.
- Do not share personal details and also avoid disclosing financial details to unknown numbers.
- Never forget to report to your local police or cyber crime officials if you are being scammed.
Things to do if you have been scammed - Call your bank and freeze your account
- Report incident on 1930 National Cyber Crime Helpline) or at cybercrime.gov.in
- Keep evidence like call details, transaction details
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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