Alarm Over Spike In Digital Arrests

New Delhi: In the summer of 2023, Dr Mehra received a call that changed her life forever. "Good morning. Is this Dr Mehra?" a stern voice asked.
"Yes, it is. Who is this?" Mehra, 50, responded, expecting it to be a nurse calling to discuss a patient's condition., a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"This is sub-inspector Shinde from the Mumbai Crime Branch. We have a warrant for your arrest," the voice said.
A chill down her spine, her mind racing, she said, "What warrant? I don't understand.'
"The drug MDMA has been detected in a courier destined to you. You need to verify account details immediately or face arrest," the SI said in an authoritative tone.
Mehra was convinced that this was a mistake, but Shinde was relentless. When the doctor agreed to provide her bank account details, the SI tone turned sterner. "Madam, I need you to transfer the money in your account to our verification account so that we can check whether it is legitimate or drug money and the proceeds of crime," he said.
The panicked Mehra hesitated only for a moment before following the instructions. Though the plot was near perfect, and she could hear uniformed policemen around and sounds of a police officer's office in the background, something didn't feel right. Yet Shinde's authoritative tone and the fear of arrest kept Mehra from questioning him further.
Mehra didn't realise she had just fallen victim to a digital arrest scam. The scammers, posing as law enforcement officials, cleverly manipulated the doctor into coughing up a staggering Rs 4.5 crore before the calls ended. The hours that followed were a blur of panic and anxiety. Mehra felt violated and helpless. She couldn't shake off the feeling of hopelessness after having fallen for the scam.
Mehra's story is just one of many. Digital arrest scams are on the rise, with thousands of people falling victim to these cleverly crafted schemes every year.
Last Nov, a 70-year-old retired engineer from northwest Delhi's Rohini lost his life savings of Rs 10 crore after falling prey to a digital arrest scam. The scammers tricked him into believing that a parcel containing banned substances from Taiwan had been sent in his name. Posing as cops, the fraudsters coerced the elderly man into transferring money to various accounts, ultimately siphoning off over Rs 10 crore.
So, what is digital arrest? A cyber cell officer explained that scammers pose as law enforcement officials and making a video call to unsuspecting victims, falsely claiming that the individual or their family members had been implicated in a serious crime, such as drug trafficking or money laundering. "This fraudulent tactic is known as a digital arrest, designed to deceive and intimidate victims into taking action, normally payment of money. The victims are isolated and extorted," the officer added.
Over the last three years, the statistics on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) indicate an alarming rise in digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes. In 2022, the portal recorded 39,925 cases, with victims losing a total of Rs 91 crore. However, by 2024, the number of cases had skyrocketed to 1,23,672 — nearly triple the previous count — with the defrauded amount increasing by 21 times to Rs 1,935.5 crore. According to the data, in the first two months of 2025, 17,718 cases involving an amount of Rs 210.2 crore were reported till Feb 28.
The surging cases prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. In his Mann Ki Baat address in Oct last year, Modi warned the public about the rising cybercrime known as digital arrest. Modi also played a recorded example of a scam call to highlight the seriousness of the issue. He urged people to stay alert to such tactics and emphasised that no genuine govt agency conducted an investigation over the phone or through video calls.
Delhi Police claimed to be following up every reported case. "As soon as we receive a complaint, our priority is to freeze and block the siphoned money. Thereafter, we trace the account owners and the callers. The scammers try to erase their digital footprints but we have been able to identify them in a majority of cases," said a senior cyber cell officer.
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