Behind the Mind Games that End in Digital Arrest

The new 'digital-arrest' scam employs psychological pressure to dupe vulnerable victims, who go through a phase of trauma and fear. We tell you how it works and how you can keep yourself safe

- Ayush Khar

New Year’s Eve is a 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 a “digita-arrest” ordeal.

The modus operandi in digital-arrest scams typically involves scammers 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 manipulated into cutting all communication and following instructions of the scammer.

Bahuguna claimed he was digitally held hostage by scammers for 40 gruelling 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 complied. Next, he was put in touch with a scammer posing as a customer support representative. The representative claimed the package mentioned on the call earlier had been seized, as it contained illegal substances.

He was also told that he had just one hour to prove his innocence. The scammer transferred his call to another member of his group who was posing as an official of the Mumbai Police. Bahuguna 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,” the influence 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.

The scammers had already made him transfer an undisclosed amount of money and also put him under tremendous mental strain.