Digital arrest scam: How a fake cop convinces victims to transfer funds to ‘clear’ their name

Digital arrest scams have recently gained notoriety in India. In one type of fraud, cyber thugs claim that the victim’s phone number is being misused. The thugs place multiple phone calls posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). They also pose as police officers and coerce the victim to register a complaint regarding the misuse of their mobile numbers. They then demand that victims transfer funds from their bank accounts and promise to return the money once their innocence is established.

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An independent analyst, Vijay Patel, showcased this digital arrest scam live on the social media platform X. He also shared recordings of the calls made by the “fake cops”.

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Here’s how the scam took place

1. The victim first received a call from an unknown number, which informed them that their mobile numbers would be blocked within the next four hours due to allegations of harassment and financial fraud. The scammers posed as representatives of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
2. The scammers instructed the victim to either visit the Lucknow police station in Uttar Pradesh within 12 hours or register their statement via a WhatsApp video call. Faced with this choice, any normal person would likely opt for the latter.
3. Wanting to record the scam, the victim pretended to be naïve and fearful during the interaction.
4. Upon receiving a WhatsApp call, the victim encountered a scammer impersonating a police officer, who had set up a fake police station backdrop.
5. To ensure that no one was with the victim, the scammer requested a 360-degree view using the victim’s back camera.
6. The scammer then began inquiring about the victim’s Aadhar Card, suggesting ways to prevent its illegal use.
7. He provided polite instructions on how to use the Aadhar Card safely, while simultaneously printing a fake document in the name of the Supreme Court and the TRAI to lend an air of authenticity to the scam.
8. The victim received a fake letter that included their name and Aadhar card number, which had been requested at the start of the call. However, there was a spelling mistake in the document.
9. The scammer then used a walkie-talkie to “consult” with someone at the police headquarters, changing his tone to threaten the victim after supposedly being informed to arrest them. The victim recorded the entire conversation.
10. The scammer falsely claimed that the victim was connected to Nawab Malik in a money laundering case. This tactic aimed to assess how many bank accounts the victim had and how much money was in them, ultimately intending to clean out those accounts.
11. The scammer continued to inquire whether the victim used UPI apps or online banking, indicating that they planned to use these methods to transfer funds.
12. In the end, the scammer, still pretending to be a police officer, escalated the case to a supposed DCP. He told the victim that they needed to transfer all the money from their bank accounts, assuring them that it would be returned if they were found innocent, along with a certificate.

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