BEHIND THE MIND GAMES THAT END IN 'DIGITAL ARREST'

The new scam of digital arrest employs psychological pressure to dupe vulnerable victims, who go through a phase of trauma and fear. We tell you how it works, whether the government is doing enough to curb the menace, and how you can keep yourself safe

- Ayush Khar

New Year's Eve is the time to sit back, relax and enjoy! But for social media influencer Ankush Bahuguna, 31, it turned out to be a nightmare. On January 5, 2025, he shared in detail how he underwent the "digital arrest" ordeal.

The modus operandi typically involves scamsters posing as authority figures who threaten, blackmail or induce fear among victims to extort money. The victims are then put under a "digital arrest" wherein they are psyched into cutting all communication and follow instructions of the scamster.

Ankush claimed he was digitally held hostage by scammers for a gruelling 40 hours. He received a call from an unlisted international number in which an automated voice told him that a courier delivery addressed to him was cancelled. The automated voice urged him to press '0' and he unfortunately complied. Next he was put in touch with a scamster posing as a "customer support representative". The representative claimed the package mentioned on call earlier had been seized, as it contained illegal substances.

He was also told he had just an hour to prove his innocence. The scamster transferred his call to another scamster posing as an official of the Mumbai Police. Ankush was told he was a "prime suspect" in a case involving money laundering and drug trafficking.

"They isolated me completely. I was not allowed to pick up calls, reply to messages, or even let anyone in the house know. They said if I contacted anyone, they would harm my family," Ankush said in his Instagram video.

After spending nearly two days under digital arrest, he managed to read a message warning about "digital arrest" scams. But it was too late.

Ankush was under arrest for nearly 40 hours, and in the interim, the scammers had made him transfer an undisclosed amount of money and also put him under tremendous mental trauma.