Rohtak: Cyber fraudsters pose as cops, try to extort money via ‘digital arrest’

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, May 28

A housewife of Sector 1 in Rohtak got a WhatsApp call on her phone last week. The caller introduced himself as a police officer and told her that her son had been arrested in connection with a criminal case and was in their custody.

Digital arrest a new mode of cyber fraud

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• Digital arrest is a new mode of cyber fraud in which a person is informed that his/her son/daughter is in custody of the police, the Narcotics Department or some other agency.
• The caller, who usually makes a video call, introduces himself as an officer of the agency. The background of the caller indicates that it’s a police station.
• The person who is being called is warned against disconnecting the phone and eventually told to send money online to save his son/daughter from getting arrested.

“I have full faith in my son and am pretty sure that he will not indulge in any such activity. Still, I got terrified as the caller sounded like a police official. The background voices also suggested that he was calling from a police station,” stated the woman, requesting not to be named.

She switched off her phone in panic and called her son from another phone number. “I felt relieved only after I saw my son on a video call and got to know that he was safe and sound,” said the mother.

Another local resident got a similar WhatsApp call about his daughter. The caller asked about the whereabouts of his daughter and before listening to the reply, he identified himself as an official from a local police station.

“He stated that my daughter had been caught with drugs and was in their custody. Although my daughter was out of station, I firmly told the caller that she was with me, following which he disconnected the phone,” said the resident, who also requested anonymity. He said he later confirmed that his daughter was safe and the call was fake.

However, all targets of such cyber frauds may not be that fortunate.

The local police authorities have advised the residents not to panic on getting such calls, and register their complaints on Cyber Crime Helpline No. 1930.

“Digital arrest is a new mode of cyber fraud in which a person is informed that his/her son/daughter is in custody of the police, the Narcotics Department or some other agency. The caller, who usually makes a video call, introduces himself as an officer of the agency. The background of the caller indicates that it’s a police station. The person who is being called is warned against disconnecting the phone and eventually told to send money online to save his son/daughter from getting arrested,” says Rohtak Superintendent of Police Himanshu Garg.

He informs that such fraudsters ask about one’s son or daughter by mentioning his/her name. Soon after, the caller introduces himself as a narcotics/CBI/police officer and says that the child has been arrested in connection with a case of drugs or some other crime, seeking money for his/her release.

“There is no need to panic at all. One should remain calm and register a complaint on Cybercrime Helpline No. 1930,” asserts Garg.

He further states that such callers may also tell the resident that some parcel addressed to him/her contains some objectionable material and has been confiscated.

“The person who receives the call is warned against disconnecting the call or making any other call. The victim of digital arrest is kept on vigil via Skype. He is shown the fear of long jail term, huge fine and disrepute in society. Eventually, he/she is told to send the money online for the release of his/her son/daughter,” said the SP.

He said as per complaints received on the National Cybercrime Recording Portal, the fraudsters, posing as the police, CBI, narcotics, RBI or ED officers, resort to threatening, blackmailing, extortion and digital arrest.