Digital Arrest Scam: Cyber crime has become dangerous in the last few years. Till now you knew only about mobile phishing, identity theft, sexting, cyber stalking, ransomware, botnets, but now if you pick up the phone of hackers, you can get digital arrested.
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If you are asked what do you do about spam calls and unknown numbers coming on your mobile? So your answer will be whether you disconnect it or call it a wrong number. You will say that such numbers are often used to cheat. Absolutely right, but know this that the criminals who commit cyber crimes have also found a new way to reach you. Now if you disconnect the call, you will still be stuck. How? Let us understand. These days, hackers have discovered a new trick which has been named 'digital arrest'. In cases of fraud like credit card PIN, bank and car loan etc., it is still easy to trace the money. Here, if you remain a little alert and aware, the other person can be caught by your words, but this is not the case with digital arrest.
Recently, many such fraud cases have come to light, in which the victim received a call and after that he was told that illegal activities were being done from his number. Then they are made to talk to the alleged CBI officer on the phone itself. After that he is forbidden to even contact anyone. False interrogation of that person is done continuously through video calls. After all this, the person is given a fake government account into which he is asked to transfer all the money. All this takes 2 to 3 days. In such a situation the person does not understand that he is being cheated. Let us first know what digital arrest is!
'Digital arrest is a new type of cyber fraud, in which hackers pose as government officials and try to defraud people of money. These criminals deceive people by impersonating any government official (like police, Enforcement Directorate or CBI). Through this, they block any person's digital accounts, such as email, social media profiles or banking data.
In a digital arrest scam, hackers or cyber criminals gain control over a person's digital resources. This control is done through phishing, malware or social engineering. The criminals make the person believe that he has committed a serious crime and hence his digital account is being locked. His account will remain frozen until he pays a heavy fine to the government.
In this scam, hackers make the victim feel that they have been 'digitally arrested'. The victim is threatened that she may have to face legal action if her demands are not met. The purpose of this fraud is to extort a huge amount of money from the victim.
Another type of digital arrest is 'Digital Confinement', in which the victim is forcefully kept on a video call until he fulfills the demands of the criminals. In this way, an attempt is made to create a kind of mental pressure on the victim so that he transfers his entire amount to the specified account.
To avoid digital arrest, there are some important measures which help us keep our digital data safe.
1. Use of complex passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA): Use strong passwords and 2SNR to keep your accounts secure.
2. Beware of suspicious emails and links: Do not click on any link given in any unknown email.
3. Keep gadgets safe: Always keep your mobile and computer updated.
If one becomes a victim of 'Digital Arrest' scam, he/she should take the following steps-
Disconnect from the Internet: First of all, disconnect the device from the internet so that criminals or hackers cannot access your remaining details.
Change Password: Change the passwords of compromised accounts immediately and activate two-factor authentication.
Report incident: Report this scam to cyber crime cell or concerned authorities.
Get your account frozen immediately: If any of your accounts (social media, email or banking) have been attacked, contact your service provider and try to freeze or recover the account.
Various laws exist in the country and internationally against cyber crimes like digital arrest.
Information Technology Act, 2000 or Information Technology Act, 2000: This Act of India regulates cyber crimes like hacking, illegal access and data theft.
Indian Penal Code (IPC) or Indian Penal Court (IPC): In case of digital crimes, action can be taken under Section 419 (cheating) and Section 420 (fraud).
International Law: Laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFR) in the US also crack down heavily on these crimes.
If someone is illegally put under 'digital arrest', he can take the following steps-
File complaint in cyber crime cell: File a complaint with your local cyber crime department or report online on the cyber crime reporting portal.
Contact i4c: Contact the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (CBCCC).
take legal action : You can file a legal complaint against fraud, deceit, and blackmail under the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Recovery of lost funds: If you have given money to criminals, immediately contact your bank or financial institution and take swift action so that the money can be returned.
Civil Defense: If you have suffered mental stress or establishment loss due to this scam, you can file a suit in the civil court for compensation.
To handle a digital crime scene, it is important to protect digital evidence and ensure data integrity.
Disassemble the system: Isolate the hacked system or device from the network to prevent further damage.
Preserve Digital Evidence: Note everything down and save system logs and metadata.
Contact Cyber Crime Expert: Get an investigation done by a cyber forensic expert so that the evidence remains safe.
report a : File a formal report with a law enforcement agency or cybercrime authorities.
Digital arrest is a serious cyber crime, but with awareness and security measures you can protect yourself from it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave information about avoiding digital fraud in 'Mann Ki Baat'. He said that there is no system like digital arrest, it is only fraud. Modi told people the three steps of digital security – wait, think and take action. Indians have suffered a loss of Rs 120.3 crore due to digital arrest.
(The article is based on a conversation with Supreme Court advocate Mohini Priya)
