LEGAL AWARENESS AND SELF-PROTECTION

Recently, an elderly woman in Agra tragically died of cardiac arrest after receiving a call that her daughter was involved in a sex racket.

- DR. PYALI CHATTERJEE & SASHANK SEKHAR DAYAL

The caller demanded she deposit 1 lakh to ensure her daughter's safe return and to avoid legal trouble. Within 15 minutes, the elderly woman passed away, and it was later revealed to be a case of "digital arrest" - a term used for a scam tactic employed by cyber fraudsters.

WHAT IS DIGITAL ARREST? Digital arrest is a new and deceptive method used by cybercriminals to extort money from innocent people. In this scam, fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers - such as the police, Enforcement Directorate, or CBI - and falsely accuse victims of serious crimes. The victims are then manipulated into believing they are under "digital arrest" and must stay visible via Skype or other video conferencing platforms until they comply with the scammers' demands. Cybercriminals exploit the victims' fear and convince them that failure to pay a large sum of money will result in prosecution. Sometimes you might get a mail in your official or personal mail id also that a case has been filed against in those department.

HIGH-PROFILE CASES OF DIGITAL ARREST IN INDIA Several high-profile cases have surfaced in India, including that of SP Oswal, an 82-year-old businessman, who was defrauded of Rs. 7 crore by a gang posing as officials from various government agencies, including the Chief Justice of India. The scam involved fake documents, a virtual courtroom, and intimidation tactics that left Oswal under "digital arrest" for two days. Although the police have recovered over 5 crore, this case remains one of the most significant fraud recoveries in the country. Similarly, a 72-year-old woman from CR Park, South Delhi, was tricked by scammers impersonating police officers, extorting 83 lakh from her under the pretext of a fabricated legal issue. Most fraud calls are made via WhatsApp using numbers starting with a +92 code, linking them to foreign-based scammers.