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In July 2024, the student got a phone call from a person claiming to be the representative of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
IIT Bombay student duped in fake arrest scam. (Representative image)
A 25-year-old IIT Bombay student has reportedly fallen victim to a “digital arrest” scam, losing Rs 7.29 lakh. The incident occurred on November 27, 2024, when fraudsters posing as government officials tricked the student into transferring the money. The victim has since filed a complaint with the Powai police station in Mumbai, where an investigation is underway. Authorities are urging the public to be cautious as such scams continue to evolve and present growing risks to individuals.
In July 2024, the student reportedly got a phone call from an individual who claimed to be the representative of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). As per PTI, the caller told him that his mobile number is associated with 17 cases of unlawful conduct and warned him of the deactivation of the number until he is able to produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the police station. The call was then transferred to another person on a WhatsApp video call impersonating a police officer before asking for other personal details, including the Aadhaar number of the student.
The student was forced to make the first payment of Rs 29,500 to deter their so-called “digital arrest.” They also warned him of the bad consequences that were going to befall him if he did not conform. The next day they called him back, as they wanted more money. Feeling trapped, he shared his bank details, and to the scammers’ further delight, they were able to withdraw Rs 7 lakh from his account.
Once all the transactions were done, the scammers had to convince him that he would not be arrested anymore and that the digital arrest had been lifted. When the student researched the so-called “digital arrest”, he discovered that he was the victim of a scam.
Understanding Digital Arrest Scams
Digital arrest scams include criminals pretending to be police officers or representatives of the government who threaten through an audio or a video call. Victims are framed into criminal activities like money laundering and coerced into paying money to avoid being arrested. This kind of cybercrime has largely grown rampant in India, for which officials have sounded alarms regarding its tendencies and trends.
