As part of a collaboration between the Indian Cyber Coordination Centre (I4C) and Microsoft, an anti-cyber fraud agency has banned more than 1,000 Skype accounts that are believed to have been used to intimidate, blackmail, extort and digitally arrest citizens by cybercriminals posing as police officers, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Narcotics Department, the RBI, or Enforcement Directorate. During the past few years, the Indian digital industry has grown at a rapid pace.
It is increasingly necessary to rely on the Internet for everything from shopping and banking to travel and UPI. It is also important to note that because of this dependence on the digital space, threats such as scams are also present. The number of online scams has increased since a few months ago. Cybercriminals continue to find new ways to exploit technology to steal money from unsuspecting victims. It has been reported that a scam dubbed the 'Digital Arrest Scam' has been spreading rapidly over the past few days.
Fraudsters are doing an increasingly good job of masquerading as law enforcement officers to trick unsuspecting victims with chillingly simple but extremely effective techniques. They pose as police officers or officers from the CBI or ED and launch online interrogations over platforms such as WhatsApp or Skype, where victims can be monitored over the camera while the fraudsters pose as officers from these agencies.
As a result, the victims of these crimes are isolated, and forbidden from contacting anyone of importance, and the perpetrators threaten them in an attempt to extract money from them. As a result of "interrogation" a victim could be held in custody for anything from a few hours to a few days, and they would be told that they are locked up in a virtual prison.
There was this new report about a 40-year-old doctor who was victimized by a scam called Digital Arrest Scam.
The victim, a doctor in Noida, lost Rs 59.54 lakh as a result of cybercriminals. Fraudsters who posed as telecom officials called the victim on the phone and informed her that her name was associated with a case of money laundering and they wanted to expose her. After that, the phone was transferred to a supposed police officer from Mumbai's Tilak Nagar Police Station, who was later arrested.
According to the "officer" the police informed the victim that an investigation had been opened into her sharing of pornographic videos, and an arrest warrant had been issued for her. Furthermore, the criminals claim that she had been implicated in a money laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal and that the National Security Act of 1947 had been invoked against her to obtain her arrest.
It was during this period that the victim was placed under digital arrest while the scammers asked for her details to steal money from her bank account between the 15th and 16th of July.
As a first step in their scam strategy, scammers usually cast a wide net, calling individuals and claiming that drugs have been found inside their courier packages or that their personal information is being used to hide money. They are then subjected to a high-pressure interview process while being threatened with legal action or even arrest to obtain the details of the crime.
An incident in which fraudsters informed the victim that his mobile number was discovered during an investigation of the criminal case against a former minister in the NCP, led to him believing that he had been targeted.
Cybercriminals have developed elaborate setups that resemble police stations to enhance their credibility. These setups usually include men wearing uniforms and logos that appear to be officially licensed.
In a disturbing case of cybercrime, scammers used a fake profile picture of a policeman on WhatsApp to deceive a businessman. The criminals accused the businessman of being involved in human trafficking, leveraging his fear and trust in authority to manipulate him. They sent him a fabricated arrest warrant and a seizure order via an online link, further escalating the pressure on the victim. In a brazen move, one of the scammers even impersonated a Supreme Court judge during a phone call with the businessman.
Through these deceptive tactics, the fraudsters convinced the businessman that he needed to undergo a "fund legalization process" and deposit his money into an account purportedly held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The scam, which unfolded over a gruelling period of seven to eight hours, resulted in a significant financial loss of Rs 1.3 crore for the victim.
Despite the severity of such incidents, victims often find themselves without adequate support. While the government has publicized a cybercrime helpline number, 1930, it merely directs complainants to file their cases on the website www.cybercrime.gov.in. Even after a complaint is lodged, the responsibility to follow up and ensure action is taken largely falls on the victim.
This case highlights the broader issue of law enforcement agencies not playing a proactive role in assisting citizens who fall prey to online fraudsters. The lack of timely intervention and investigation into cybercrimes exacerbates the distress faced by victims. As cybercrime rates continue to rise, there is a pressing need for law enforcement to enhance their responsiveness and take on a more active role in protecting citizens from such sophisticated digital threats.
