TL;DR
- The “Digital Arrest” scam is making headlines after a New Delhi resident lost about Rs. 6 lakhs.
- Scammers impersonating the Department of Telecommunications called a Delhi resident and managed to apply for a loan in his name.
- The Department of Telecommunications already issued a statement about such scams earlier this year.
Recently, we published a detailed post about the ongoing pension scam, wherein fraudsters impersonate government officials to obtain citizens’ life certificates, among other sensitive information. Now, we’re hearing about rising cases of “Digital Arrest” scams, wherein bad actors pretending to be from the telecommunications department threaten people about deactivating their mobile numbers in an attempt to extort money or other details.
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Delhi Man Duped Rs. 5.97 Lakhs By Scammers Impersonating Government Body
The “Digital Arrest” scam is making headlines after a New Delhi resident lost about Rs. 6 lakhs. Apparently, scammers impersonating the Department of Telecommunications called a man and convinced him about a connection between some criminal activities and his contact number. Then, the person acting as the government official transferred the call to another semester, who impersonated the “Mumbai Crime Department.”
Scammers Used The Individual’s Personal Details To Threaten Him
Then, under the pretense of criminal investigation, they managed to apply for a loan using the victim’s account. The loan amount was then distributed between three bank accounts, and the notification about these transactions made the victim realize the situation.
Even though the victim disabled his net banking services, the scammers managed to dupe him of Rs. 5.97 lakh. The case is registered with the Cyber Police Station in West Delhi. This is not the first time such a case has surfaced on the internet.
Something similar happened to a retired university professor (a few days ago), wherein scammers pretended to be from the Enforcement Directorate and duped the individual of Rs. 75 lakhs.
Highly-Rehearsed Scripts, Elaborate Set Ups, And Pressure Tactics
The “Digital Arrest” scam has been going on for quite some time, where people impersonate some government agency, threatening to deactivate their phone number. Usually, the people involved use publicly available information, such as your phone or bank account number, to convince people about their legitimacy, and then they ask for money to offer them bail.
They could also resort to sending links or forms to fill up the required information, which is then used against the victim to commit financial or identity theft. The most unique aspect of this scam is that the bad actors rely on well-rehearsed scripts and elaborate sets (like that of a police station) instead of AI-generated recordings or clips from another video.
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Combined, these tactics compel the victim to believe what the scammers are saying and doing as directed. Nonetheless, in order to protect yourself against such scams, you should follow a few ground rules.
How To Protect Yourself Against “Digital Arrest” Scam?
First and foremost, be informed about the ongoing scams and the techniques bad actors are implementing to fool people. Second, always be on the lookout for any official statement from the government, as it clarifies everything in an instant.
For instance, the Department of Telecommunications issued a statement earlier this year (in May 2024) informing people about cyber criminals trying “to threaten or steal personal information to carry out” frauds. The department said “not to take fake calls being received by the citizens wherein callers are threatening to disconnect their mobile numbers or their mobile numbers are being used in some illegal activities.”
It is best not to answer calls from unknown numbers, especially those from a foreign country code. If you pick up a random call and there’s a pre-recorded message about your phone number being deactivated, cut the call and block that number right away. Last but not least, do not share your personal details, such as your email ID, alternate phone numbers, date of birth, or numbers related to your account/credit card with anyone.
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