What is a digital arrest scam?

A digital arrest scam is an impersonation fraud built on fear. The victim receives a call, often starting with a recorded message about a parcel, a SIM card or a bank account linked to a crime. The call is passed to a "police officer" or "CBI official", sometimes in uniform on a video call from a set dressed to look like a police station.

The victim is told they are under investigation for money laundering, drug trafficking or similar offences, and that they are now under "digital arrest". They are ordered to stay on camera, speak to no one, and transfer money to a "safe" or "verification" account to avoid physical arrest.

Is there such a thing as digital arrest in Indian law?

No. Arrest is a physical procedure governed by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and nothing in it allows a person to be held in custody over a video call. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory in October 2024 stating that agencies such as the CBI, police, customs, ED or judges do not arrest people over video calls.

The Prime Minister also warned about the fraud in the 115th episode of Mann Ki Baat on 27 October 2024, urging citizens to "stop, think and act" and to report on the 1930 helpline.

How does the scam work?

1. Hook: a call or message about a parcel containing contraband, a misused Aadhaar or SIM card, or a pending legal case.
2. Escalation: the call is passed to fake officers. Forged documents such as arrest warrants or court orders are shared.
3. Isolation: the victim is kept on video, told the matter is confidential and warned against contacting family or lawyers.
4. Extraction: money is transferred in tranches to accounts controlled by the gang, sometimes after the victim is told to break deposits or take loans.
5. Laundering: funds move rapidly through layers of mule accounts, a pattern familiar from money laundering cases.

The scam is a sophisticated form of vishing, the voice-based variant of phishing.

Which offences are involved?

There is no specific "digital arrest" offence, but the conduct falls within existing law, including:

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023: extortion (s. 308), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (s. 318(4)), cheating by personation (s. 319), forgery for the purpose of cheating (s. 336(3)) and, for gangs, organised crime (s. 111).
• IT Act 2000: s. 66D, cheating by personation using a computer resource, and s. 66C where identity credentials are misused.

Red flags

• Any official who says you are under arrest over a call or video call.
• Demands to stay on camera, keep the matter secret or not contact anyone.
• Requests to transfer money for "verification", "clearance" or "safe custody".
• Documents with official logos sent over WhatsApp.
• Extreme time pressure and threats of immediate arrest.

What should victims and organisations do?

Disconnect, do not pay, and report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. If money has been sent, contact the bank immediately. The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, launched in 2021, allows suspected fraud funds to be flagged so banks can act before they are withdrawn. Early action matters because the money is moved quickly, and asset tracing becomes harder with every layer.

For organisations, the risk is real: staff may be pressured to use company funds or disclose confidential data. Awareness programmes and a clear internal escalation route are practical safeguards.

For a fuller guide, see digital arrest scams: how they work and how organisations can protect their people. Our asset tracing and recovery covers tracing of diverted funds, and our digital forensics and eDiscovery service covers preserving call, chat and device evidence.