The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a warning against an emerging wave of “digital arrest” scams that have defrauded Indians of ₹3,000 crore over the past year, with most victims being elderly citizens. These scams involve fraudsters posing as police officers or public officials over the phone and on video calls, threatening victims with false legal actions and phony documents to gain thousands of pounds.
What is Digital Arrest Scam?
In the digital arrest scam, con artists contact victims over the phone and escalate to video calls, pretending to be police personnel (or CBI, IT, or customs officials). They fabricate allegations of serious crime, like laundering money, evading taxes or dealing drugs against the victim or a relative. Scammers also resort to fear tactics, brandishing official logos, staging backdrops of courtrooms or police stations, and even using processed background noise to make them sound authentic and menacing. Victims are pressured into paying money to “clear their names” or assist with “investigations,” often by terms such as refundable security deposits or escrow accounts.
Scale and Impact of the Scam
Title reports filed before the Indian Supreme Court by the Home Ministry (MHA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reveal that more than ₹3,000 crore (approximately ₹ 30 billion) has been extorted domestically through these scams in India. The scam targets especially older adults who are all but forced to give up their life savings, sometimes threatened with immediate arrest or legal action and watching forged court orders in video calls.
The Supreme Court was shocked by the magnitude of the fraud and described it as a major national problem. A bench led by Chief Justice-designate Surya Kant emphasized the need for stringent and severe judicial measures to protect citizens and strengthen investigating agencies to address this issue.
NPCI’s Advisory and Awareness Campaign
NPCI has urged citizens to remain extremely vigilant, advising the public to:
- Record, save messages, take screenshots, and document any suspicious calls or video sessions that resemble such scams to aid authorities.
- Report suspicious phone numbers to the National Cybercrime Helpline at 1930 or through the Department of Telecommunications.
- Verify any claims of legal action independently, as real government agencies do not demand money or conduct investigations over phone or video calls.
- Be cautious of calls claiming urgent legal actions and refuse to comply with requests for money transfers without proper verification.
Furthermore, NPCI has launched awareness campaigns to educate users on identifying these scams early, protecting themselves, and creating a safer digital payments ecosystem.
Efforts by the Government and the Judiciary
The MHA has established a dedicated cell to address these complaints. The CBI is actively inquiring into the organized nature of these crimes. The Supreme Court (SC), which treated the letter as a writ petition, took suo motu notice after receiving complaints from victims – one of whom is a high-profile elderly couple who were duped of over ₹1 crore under the digital arrest scheme. The Court has pledged to take stringent and monitoring measures to address this cyber fraud, given the complexity of the challenge involved, which includes the use of technology such as AI to create bogus court orders and fake judge appearances.
The Court plans to issue strict orders at the next hearing, scheduled for November 10, 2025, to grant law enforcement greater authority and close any legal loopholes that scammers exploit.
This scam has not only cost the victims a significant amount of money, but it has also caused them considerable emotional distress. The judiciary, central agencies, and NPCI are collaborating to raise awareness, enhance cyber-resilience among the public, and take legal action against cybercriminals, thereby preventing them from exploiting vulnerable individuals, particularly older people.