Digital Arrest Scam: What It Is and What to Do If You Get the Call

Digital arrest kya hai? (What is a digital arrest?)

A digital arrest is a script used by fraudsters. Someone calls pretending to be from the CBI, ED, police, customs, TRAI or even a court. They say a parcel, SIM card, Aadhaar number or bank account in your name is linked to drugs, fake passports or money laundering. Then they tell you that you are under “digital arrest”: you must stay on a video call, not leave the room and not tell anyone.

Indian law has no such thing as a digital arrest. An arrest happens in person, under legal procedure. Real agencies send written notices. They do not interrogate people on WhatsApp or Skype, they do not show warrants on a video call, and they never ask you to transfer money to “verify” it. The whole call exists for one purpose: to scare you into moving your savings.

Watch outYou are free to end the call at any time. Hanging up is not a crime, and nobody can arrest you through a phone screen.

How does the fake CBI or police video call scam work?

The details change, but the pattern described on our digital arrest scam page repeats almost every time:

1. The hook. An automated call says it is from TRAI and your number will be cut in two hours, or a “courier company” says a parcel in your name was seized. You are asked to press 9 or are “transferred” to an officer.
2. The uniform. A person in a police or CBI uniform appears on video, sometimes with a police station backdrop, a fake ID card or a forged arrest warrant sent on WhatsApp.
3. Isolation. You are told the case is secret, that telling family will make things worse, and that you must stay on camera. This can last for hours or even days.
4. The money. To “prove your innocence”, you are asked to move your savings, break FDs or even take a loan, and send it to a “safe”, “RBI” or “verification” account. They promise to return it after the check.
5. Gone. The money is split across many accounts within minutes. The “officers” disappear.

People of every age and education level are targeted, including doctors, engineers and retired officers. The scam works because fear and isolation stop people from thinking calmly, not because victims are careless.

Digital arrest call aaye to kya kare?

If you are on such a call right now, or just got one, these are the safe steps. None of them can get you into trouble.

Red flags: how to know it is a scam

Any one of these is enough to treat the call as fraud:

• The words “digital arrest”, “online custody” or “house arrest on video”.
• A parcel with drugs, fake passports or cash “in your name” that you never sent.
• Being told not to tell family, not to cut the call, or to keep the camera on.
• Any request to transfer money to a “safe”, “RBI”, “supervision” or “verification” account.
• Calls or WhatsApp video from unknown or foreign numbers using police or CBI logos as the display picture.
• Pressure to act within minutes, with threats of arrest, frozen accounts or harm to your children.

TipTeach elderly parents one simple rule: no real officer ever asks for money on a call. If anyone does, hang up and phone a family member first.

Paisa chala gaya to kya kare? (If you already paid)

Speed matters more than anything else. When you report quickly, banks can try to hold the money before it moves to the next account. Follow our first hour after cyber fraud checklist and keep these details ready:

• The transaction IDs or UTR numbers, amounts, dates and times.
• The bank accounts or UPI IDs you paid, exactly as shown in your app.
• The phone numbers, WhatsApp names and any documents or “warrants” they sent.
• Screenshots of the chat and call log. Do not delete anything.

After calling 1930 and filing on cybercrime.gov.in, give a written complaint at your police station or cyber cell. Our free cyber fraud complaint draft lays out the transactions in a table so the police have everything on one page.

Watch outBeware of “recovery agents” who promise to get your money back for a fee. That is a second scam aimed at people who have just lost money.

How to protect your family from digital arrest fraud

Most victims say they wish someone had told them about this scam before the call came. A five-minute conversation at home helps more than any app:

• Explain that a digital arrest does not exist, and that hanging up is always allowed.
• Agree on a family rule: before any large transfer, call one named person first.
• Save the local police station number in everyone’s phone, so nobody needs a number from a caller.
• Report suspicious calls on Chakshu even when nothing was lost; it helps block the numbers.

The free Digital Suraksha course covers digital arrest, KYC and UPI scams in short lessons that work well for parents and grandparents, in English and Hindi.