Bengaluru Police Appeals To Public To Stay Alert Against 'Digital Arrest' Scam

In the wake of numerous complaints, Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda on Tuesday urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to cyber fraudsters who extort money by impersonating government officials and claiming to enforce a "digital arrest".

Quoted by PTI, he said the police have been receiving several complaints about individuals being intimidated by the concept of digital arrest, resulting in substantial financial losses.

Citing a recent case where a 39-year-old software engineer lost Rs 11.8 crore to this scam, the Commissioner clarified, "We want to reiterate, as we have done multiple times through our social media channels, that there is no concept of digital arrest in our legal statutes or Constitution. Police actions are based strictly on legal provisions, and there is no provision for digital arrest."

Explaining standard legal procedures, he stated that the police issue notices or physically apprehend individuals when necessary. "If we arrest someone, they must be produced before the jurisdictional magistrate within 24 hours, and remand or custody must be obtained. Cyber fraudsters, however, falsely claim digital arrests, detain victims for days or weeks, and extort money," he said.

The Commissioner cautioned the public against attending unknown calls or falling for incriminating tactics. "If you receive suspicious calls or video calls, remain alert. Do not entertain unknown callers or share personal information such as your name, address, Aadhaar card, or PAN card number. Validate any claims through your local police station or trusted individuals," he advised.

He also emphasised that legitimate agencies will never ask for personal or confidential details via WhatsApp or calls. For those who fall victim to cyber fraud, he urged them to dial 1930 for assistance in tracing and blocking fraudulent accounts to recover lost funds.

Other than the case in Bengaluru, another incident happened in Pune where a 59-year old man was cheated of Rs 22.89 lakh when he was trying to book hotel room for a prominent ashram in Gujarat. In separate incidents, two people were lured towards online share trading ventures and were defrauded of Rs 9 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively.