Indians lost Rs 120 crore to ‘digital arrest’ scam between January and April this year

An analysis of the trends found that 46 percent of cyber frauds reported during the January-April period originated from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. (Representational Image: AP)

'Digital arrests' are fast becoming a favoured method of cyber fraud with Indian citizens cumulatively losing Rs 120.30 crore to this scourge in the first quarter of 2024 alone, an analysis by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), an agency under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs which monitors cybercrime at the central level, has revealed.

A report by The Indian Express citing data released by the agency in May this year shows that Indians lost Rs 120.30 crore in digital arrest, Rs 1,420.48 crore in trading scam, Rs 222.58 crore in investment scam, and Rs 13.23 crore in romance/dating scam during the January to April period this year.

In its analysis of trends from the period, the I4C found that 46 percent of cyber frauds reported in this period — in which the victims cumulatively lost an estimated Rs 1,776 crore — originated from three southeast Asian countries of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

According to National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) data, 7.4 lakh complaints were made between January 1 and April 30 this year, while 15.56 lakh complaints were received in all of 2023. A total 9.66 lakh complaints were reported in 2022, up from 4.52 lakh the previous year.

What is 'Digital Arrest'?

‘Digital arrest’ sees potential victims receiving a call where the caller would tell them that a parcel/courier they had sent or were the intended recipients of contained illegal goods, drugs, fake passports, or other contraband.

In some cases, relatives or friends of the target would be told that the target had been found to be involved in a crime.

Once they had the target in their net, the fraudsters would contact them over Skype or other video calling platforms posing as law enforcement officers, often wearing uniforms and calling from places resembling police stations or government offices, and demand money for a “compromise” and “closure of the case”.

In certain cases, the victims have been “digitally arrested”, which meant they were forced to stay visible to the fraudsters until their demands had been met.

PM Modi advises caution

In his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of 'digital arrests' and sought to caution citizens against falling prey to scamsters posing as government officials.

“Beware of digital arrest frauds. There is no system like digital arrest under the law. No government agency will ever contact you via phone or video call for such an investigation,” PM Modi said as he outlined the mantra of “stop, think, and take action” toi ensure digital security.

“Follow these 3 steps to stay safe: stop, think, take action. First, stay calm and do not panic. Record or take a screen recording if possible. Second, remember that no government agency will threaten you online. Third, take action by dialling 1930 to connect with the national cyber helpline and also inform police about such a crime," said the PM.

The Prime Minister and called on educational institutions to organise awareness campaigns.

PM Modi also highlighted that while investigative agencies have joined forces with state governments to combat this issue, public awareness is essential for individuals to protect themselves from such scams and urged the public to actively participate in the fight against cyber scams.