Jaipur, Feb 9 The Rajasthan government, on Monday, issued a comprehensive advisory to create public awareness about cybersecurity and cyber hygiene, urging citizens to remain vigilant against rising cases of digital arrest scams and call forwarding frauds, government officials said.
In a digital arrest scam, cybercriminals impersonate officials from law enforcement or investigative agencies such as the Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Narcotics Department, or other government bodies.
Victims are intimidated through phone or video calls and coerced into paying money by threatening fake legal action, officials added.
Fraudsters contact victims via Interactive Voice Response calls, phone calls, or video calls, falsely claiming to be officials from agencies such as the Police, CBI, ED, Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the Department of Telecommunications.
In some cases, the fraudsters use fake police station setups, uniforms, and official-looking backgrounds to appear credible, officials said.
"Victims are falsely accused of serious offences such as sending narcotics, fake passports, or illegal SIM cards through courier services (for example, FedEx/DHL) and make misuse of Aadhaar or bank accounts. They (online fraudsters) also indulge in money laundering or terrorist financing," they added.
"In certain cases, scammers threaten to implicate a family member in an accident or criminal case. Victims are often forced to stay continuously on video calls via WhatsApp, Skype, or similar platforms to prevent them from contacting others. Money is then demanded in the name of settlement, avoiding arrest, keeping the matter out of the media, or as fines or "verification charges"," officials said.
Police officials shared important facts, saying that no law enforcement agency carries out arrests digitally, no government official demands money over phone or video calls and no official investigation is conducted through WhatsApp, Skype, or Telegram.
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