Dekhbhaal
Dekhbhaal › Common scams › Digital arrest

What is a "digital arrest" scam?

There is no such thing as a "digital arrest" in Indian law. No police, CBI, ED, customs officer or judge arrests anyone over a phone or video call, keeps them on camera, or asks for money to "verify" or "clear" their name. Anyone who does is a fraudster. Hang up, and call your family.

Last updated 21 October 2026, by the Dekhbhaal team.

It is one of the costliest scams in India, and older people are its main target. In late 2025 the Supreme Court noted that about ₹3,000 crore had been taken in digital arrest scams alone (The Tribune, 3 November 2025). In October 2024 the Prime Minister used Mann Ki Baat to say it plainly: no investigating agency questions anyone like this over a phone or video call.

How it goes

  1. A first call that sounds routine. "This is FedEx. A parcel in your name has been stopped at Mumbai customs with drugs and fake passports." Or: "This is TRAI. Your number will be cut today, it has been used in a money-laundering case."
  2. The call is "transferred to the police". A man in uniform appears on a WhatsApp or Skype video call, sometimes in a room made to look like a police station, with an ID card and papers carrying official seals.
  3. Fear and secrecy. Your parent is told they are under "digital arrest", must stay on camera, and must not tell anyone, not even their children, or they will be arrested for real. This can go on for hours or days.
  4. The money. To "prove their innocence", they must move their savings to a "verification account" or an "RBI safe account". It will be returned, they are told, once the case is cleared. It never is.

How to tell it's a fraud

What to do right now

If money has already gone

  1. Call 1930 now. It is India's national cyber-fraud helpline. The first hour matters most: the sooner 1930 hears, the better the chance the money can be held before it moves on.
  2. Call the bank on the number printed on the back of the card or in the bank's own app, and ask them to block the card or account.
  3. File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, with the number that called, the time, and any screenshots.
  4. Report the number on Chakshu, at sancharsaathi.gov.in, so it can be checked and cut off.

And tell your parent it is not their fault. These callers do this all day, and they are good at it. A parent who feels foolish is less likely to tell you next time.

How Dekhbhaal helps

Dekhbhaal is an AI caretaker on your parent's phone, for sons and daughters who live far away. Your parent hangs up, holds the big Boliye button and says what the caller said: "Koi police wala video call pe bol raha hai main digital arrest mein hoon." Dekhbhaal tells them plainly it is a fraud and not to pay, and you are told at once. It can't hear the call itself; hanging up first is the safe habit anyway. How the scam guard works.

Questions

Is digital arrest real in India?

No. There is no such thing as a digital arrest in Indian law. No police, CBI, ED, customs officer or court arrests anyone over a phone or video call, or asks for money to clear their name. Anyone who does is a fraudster.

Why do the callers have uniforms, ID cards and official papers?

Because they are props. A uniform, a room made to look like a police station and documents with seals are all easy to fake on a video call. A real officer would never question you over a video call or ask you to move money.

What if the caller knows my parent's Aadhaar number or address?

That doesn't make them real. Personal details leak from many places. Knowing them is part of the act, to make the call feel official.

My parent already sent money. What now?

Call 1930, India's national cyber-fraud helpline, at once; the first hour matters most. Then call the bank on its official number, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.

Other scams to know

Dekhbhaal will never ask for an OTP, money or bank details. Anyone who does is a scammer, even if they say they are Dekhbhaal. In an emergency, call 112.