MUMBAI: A shocking case of “digital arrest” has come to light in Mumbai, India, where a woman was scammed of over 2000$. This scam involved an online “arrest,” where the victim was tricked into transferring money to fraudsters pretending to be police officers.
The incident took place on November 19 when the 26-year-old woman received a phone call from the scammers. They introduced themselves as officers from the Delhi Police and claimed that her name had come up in a money laundering investigation involving Naresh Goyal, the owner of Jet Airways.
The scammers told the woman that she was going to be arrested and warned her to cooperate. They then moved to a video call and told her that she had been “digitally arrested.” They asked her to book a hotel room for further questioning.
When the woman arrived at the hotel, the scammers told her to send ₹1.78 lakh (about $2,000) to an account to verify her bank information. Believing the call to be legitimate, the woman transferred the money. It was only after the transaction that she realized she had been scammed.
Ten days later, on November 28, the woman filed a complaint with the police. The police have since registered a case under the Information Technology Act.
The term “digital arrest” refers to a scam in which fraudsters claim to have arrested their victims online and convince them to stay in touch via video or audio calls. Victims are warned not to tell anyone about the arrest and are kept under surveillance until they transfer money.
Police Advisory
The police have repeatedly issued advisories stating that “digital arrest” or “virtual arrest” has no legal standing. However, the growing number of such cases indicates that the message has not yet reached the general public.
The case highlights the increasing use of online fraud techniques and the need for greater public awareness.