Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a warning about the increase in ‘digital arrest’ scams, where cyber criminals take the form of government officials to withdraw money from the victims without thinking.
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center-i4C is actively combating this organized online economic crime in collaboration with Microsoft.
What is a digital arrest scam?
Cyber Criminal Immunization: The scamsters present themselves as police, Central Bureau Investigation-CBI, Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India- RBI or personnel of various government agencies including the Directorate of India.
Threatening strategy: Victims receive calls alleging involvement in illegal activities, such as sending or receiving restricted items such as drugs or fake passports.
Forces can also demand money to close the “case” in which a loved one is allegedly trapped in criminal activity or accident.
Digital imprisonment: Some victims are subjected to ‘digital arrest’, where they are forced to stay on video calls with scammers until their demands are met.
Demand for money: Criminals are charging money instead of agreeing not to expose false legal matters.
What steps are being taken to deal with these scams?
Blocking fraudulent accounts: I4C has blocked more than 1,000 Skype accounts associated with intimidation, blackmail, coercion recovery and “digital arrests” by cyber criminals presented as government personnel.
i4C is also providing facility to block SIM cards, mobile devices and original accounts used by these fraudsters.
Cross-border crime syndicate: The Ministry of Home Affairs has identified that these scams are operated by cross-border crime syndicate, making them a part of a large, organized online economic crime network.
Vigilance and awareness: I4C has increased vigilance regarding such fraud on its social media platform “cyber friend” and other platforms.
If someone gets such a call, they should immediately report the incident on the cybercrime helpline number or website “National Cybercrime Reporting Portal” for help. (https://cybercrime.gov.in/)
Cyber Crime Coordination Center (i4C)
It was established by the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide a framework and ecosystem for law enforcement agencies (LEA) to coordinate and deal with cyber crime in New Delhi.
The O i4C has been envisaged to act as a nodal point to curb cyber crime in the country.
It proposes amendment in cyber laws to maintain intensifying technologies and international cooperation.
To coordinate the implementation of mutual legal aid treaties (MLAT) with other countries for cyber offenses in consultation with the concerned authority in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mlat is a bilateral agreement between two or more countries that allow information and evidence exchange to implement criminal or public laws.
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