How do scammers who cheat people in different ways through online scamming get access to all your information? From your bank details to online shopping, scammers get to know everything and on that basis, they lay a trap in which you are sure to get trapped. These days, the 'Digital Arrest' scam is going on in India and a large number of people are falling prey to it. People are losing lakhs of rupees by considering it a legal process. The US Office on Drugs and Crime (South East Asia and Pacific) recently did an analysis on this, which revealed that such cyber criminals are now working like a professional industry.

Most of them are from South East Asia. According to a TOI report, UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) regional analyst John Wojcik said that a new model of 'crime as a service' has emerged. The use of AI and crypto and underground online markets are helping to increase it.

How does your information reach scammers?

Before Covid, they usually just dialed randomly. In some cases, they used stolen databases. Today they can get phone numbers with names cheaper than ever before. Scammers make a small payment every month to subscribe to a list of names or numbers, which is updated every few months.

People need to know that their information is easily available on the Internet is being used at an industrial level and is accessible to everyone. We are moving into a post-privacy era where information that was sensitive earlier may not be as sensitive now.

Anyway, the lists with names, addresses, etc. come from Facebook, Instagram, etc. The apps have access to most of the things on your phone, like numbers, names, emails, locations, things in your calendar, your contact list, what apps are installed, etc. The data gets uploaded. The social media provider packages the data and sells it to other parties who sort, repackage, and sell the data.

This is why in recent years, people who use social networking have been getting texts, calls, and spam from scammers. When you tapped “I agree”, you agreed to this. You willingly gave your phone number and asked to have it docked on the internet.

How to stop it?

Stay off social media. Change your phone number. It would be better if the new number you get has not been given to any social media user before. I am sure you won’t believe me. Do your research. The proof is on the internet. Start by Googling your name or phone number. Do the same with the name or number of someone you know who is not on social media.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News 18 hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.