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

"Digital arrest" is not a real legal process. It is a fraud in which callers pose as police, CBI, customs, Enforcement Directorate or other officials, claim you are linked to a crime, keep you on a video call and demand money. India's Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) states in its public advisory that CBI, police, customs, ED and judges do not arrest people on a video call. If you receive such a call, end it, do not pay, and report it on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for anyone who may receive an unexpected call from a person claiming to be an official, and for families who want to prepare older relatives. By the end you will know the typical script, the signs that give it away, what to do during and after the call, and how to report. It describes the pattern so you can recognise it, not how to run it.

What is known about the scam

The Ministry of Home Affairs warned in May 2024 about a rise in complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal about intimidation, blackmail, extortion and "digital arrests" by people posing as police, CBI, the narcotics department, RBI, the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies. Reports on the warning said these operations were organised online economic crime run by cross-border syndicates.

In October 2024, the I4C, which sits under the Ministry of Home Affairs and coordinates action on cybercrime, issued a public advisory. Its central message is that CBI, police, customs, ED and judges do not arrest you on a video call, and it asks people to report incidents on helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.

A Rajya Sabha answer dated 12 March 2025 gives the scale on the national portal. It reports incidents of digital arrest and related frauds rising from about 39,900 in 2022 to about 123,700 in 2024, with a further 17,700 in the first two months of 2025. These are portal reports, and the answer should be read for its exact definitions and figures.

How the call usually unfolds

The details vary, but press and I4C descriptions show a common sequence.

1. The first contact. A call, often from a number that looks official or a foreign-looking number, says a parcel in your name has been held, or a SIM or bank account linked to you has been used in a crime. The caller may then "transfer" you to a more senior "officer".
2. The video call. You are moved to a video call, often with a uniform, a backdrop that looks like an office, or official-looking documents sent over a messaging app.
3. Isolation. You are told the matter is confidential, that you are under "digital arrest", and that you must stay on camera and not tell anyone. Reports describe victims being kept on the call for hours.
4. The money demand. You are told to move funds to a "safe account" for verification, or to pay "bail" or a "fine", and that the money will be returned once you are cleared.
5. Disappearance. After the transfer, the callers cut contact.

Notice what they do not do: they do not give you time, a written notice delivered by hand, or a way to verify them independently.

Warning signs

What to do during the call

1. Hang up. You do not need permission. A real agency will contact you again in writing.
2. Do not send money, OTPs, documents, Aadhaar or PAN images or bank details. Do not read out or forward any code.
3. Do not install any app and do not share your screen at the caller's request.
4. Tell someone you trust who is physically nearby or on the phone, even if the caller said not to.
5. Verify independently. If you want to check, look up the agency's official website yourself or visit a local police station. Do not use a number or link supplied by the caller.
6. Write down the numbers, names used, the time and what was asked, and take screenshots if the app allows.

If you are the relative of someone who is on such a call, the quickest help is to tell them it is a known scam and to ask them to end the call and talk in person.

If you have already sent money or details

Act in minutes, not days.

1. Call 1930, the national cyber crime helpline.2. Call your bank on the number on your card or on its official app, tell it that you have been defrauded, and ask it to block the account, card or UPI and to flag the transactions.
2. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Keep ready: transaction IDs, the account or UPI IDs you paid, the caller numbers, screenshots, and a short timeline.
3. Preserve evidence. Do not delete chats, call logs or messages.
4. Secure your accounts. If you shared an OTP, a password, or installed an app, remove the app, change your email and banking passwords from a clean device, and turn on two-step verification. See Turn On Two-Step Verification for Google, Microsoft and Apple Accounts.
5. Consider also visiting your local police station with the same evidence, if you want a physical record alongside the online complaint.

If you shared personal documents, watch for follow-up attempts. Scammers may call back using the details you gave.

Talking to older relatives

People of any age fall for this fraud, but a short family conversation helps:

• Agree on a rule: no official will ever ask you to stay on video or move money for verification, and any such call is to be ended and discussed.
• Agree on a person to call before any payment is made.
• Keep the 1930 helpline number and the website cybercrime.gov.in written near the phone.
• Remind them that urgency and secrecy are the signature of the scam.

Common questions

Can a caller know my name and Aadhaar details and still be a scammer?

Yes. Personal details can come from leaks or earlier scams, so knowing them proves nothing. Treat accuracy of your details as unconvincing.

What if the caller shows an FIR or arrest warrant on video?

Documents with logos and seals are easy to fake and are not proof of a real case. The I4C advisory says arrests are not made on video calls. Verify through a police station you visit yourself.

What if I am not sure whether the call is real?

Hang up and check. A genuine process will not be damaged by a delay of an hour, and a scammer's story depends on you not checking.

Summary

• Digital arrest is a scam, not a legal process, and officials do not arrest people on video calls.
• End the call, do not pay and do not share codes, documents or your screen.
• Tell a trusted person and verify through official channels you find yourself.
• If money has gone, call 1930 and your bank immediately, then file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.

References

• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: https://cybercrime.gov.in
• Rajya Sabha, parliamentary answer on cybercrime reporting, 12 March 2025: https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/757210/1/PQ_267_12032025_U1505_p268_p273.pdf
• PTI via The Week, report on the 12 March 2025 Rajya Sabha reply: https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/03/12/del54-rsq-cybercrime.html
• Tribune India, report on the I4C advisory (October 2024): https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/cbi-ed-dont-nab-via-video-calls-advisory-to-curb-digital-arrest/
• ETV Bharat, report on the I4C advisory: https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!bharat/cbi-ed-police-dont-arrest-people-through-video-calls-indian-cyber-crime-coordination-centre-enn24100602996
• ETV Bharat, Ministry of Home Affairs nationwide alert (May 2024): https://etvbharat.com/en/!bharat/ministry-of-home-affairs-issues-nationwide-alert-over-digital-arrest-enn24051405886
• Deccan Herald, I4C advisory for citizens: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/amid-rise-in-digital-arrest-cases-indian-cyber-crime-coordination-centre-issues-advisory-for-citizens-3221509