Vardhman Group's Chairman falls prey to 'digital arrest' scam

Despite multiple warnings that Indian law enforcement does not allow for "digital arrest" or online investigation, doctors, lawyers, and now the chairman and managing director of a famous textile company have fallen for such a scam, losing millions of rupees in the process.

The Vardhman Group's chairman and managing director, SP Oswal, was tricked out of more than ₹7 crore last month after being informed that he was being investigated for a money laundering probe.

Experts believe that this highlights the fear psychosis that fraudsters induce in their victims, leading them to feel that everything they are being told is true and that they are being investigated for serious crimes, with the possibility of long-term jail if they disobey.

The crooks convinced the 82-year-old that the inquiry was authentic by using fictitious documents, the CBI, and even the name of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

Every scammer's primary tactic in a "digital arrest" is surveillance. Victims are told to remain in a video conversation on their laptop using Skype, Zoom, or any similar platform and to switch to a video call on their phone even if they travel to a different room.

The scammers threaten the victims to not talk to anybody else about what they are going through as they risk breaking laws like the strict Official Secrets Act. In the scam that was used to trick Mr Oswal, the fraudsters had a man pretend to be Justice Chandrachud in a courtroom setting.

In other schemes, the scammers impersonated police officers and used fictitious ID cards from the CBI or the Intelligence Bureau to give the impression that the investigation and the "digital arrest" were genuine.

A Bengaluru-based lawyer was forced to undress for a "narcotics test" in April of this year as part of a "digital arrest" and "investigation" concerning a package shipped to Thailand under her name that contained drugs like MDMA and ecstasy.

Not only was she deceived of ₹14 lakh, but her nude videos were also utilized to attempt to extract an additional ₹10 lakh from her, making her feel like a hostage under constant observation for two days.

"Because there were police and politicians involved in this high-profile case, I was asked to cooperate with them (the scammers) and not talk to anybody. I was asked to switch on my camera and share my screen so that they could see if I was calling or texting anybody. I was watched the entire day and, even at night, I was asked to keep the camera on and sleep," she had said in her FIR.

When the lawyer requested if he may speak to her family or a police officer, she was instructed not to and told that this was for her "own safety." She was also asked to keep her video and microphone on at all times.

After draining her bank account, the scammers threatened to have even her family jailed because it was a drug trafficking case, so they made her strip for the narcotics test and record explicit films. According to experts, the possibility that a lawyer may fall victim to such a scam highlights how vulnerable ordinary people are and proves that even those with legal training are not immune to them.
A doctor in Noida was placed under 'digital arrest' for two days and lost ₹ 60 lakh.

According to cyber law expert and lawyer Pawan Duggal, a digital arrest is a phenomenon of attempting to instill fear and terror in someone before extorting money from them under the false impression that they have committed a grave crime.

They are warned against speaking to anyone about what is happening. Sufficiently scared, the victims do the bidding of the scamsters and are then squeezed for every last penny, ranging from lakhs to crores.

Calls warning potential victims that they have been implicated in significant crimes such as drug trafficking or money laundering are made to them; if they don't cooperate, they risk a lengthy jail sentence. In certain situations, such as the one involving Mr Oswal, it may begin with a clear-cut fraud call threatening to discontinue their internet or phone service, and things might quickly go out of control from there.

With the use of props such as ID cards, paperwork, clothes, and even studios that resemble agency offices, the victims are led to believe that the con artists are legitimate. The targets are instilled with dread by being warned of potential punishments and instructed to keep their camera and microphones on at all times.

The Ministry of Home Affairs claims that scammers using "digital arrests" have caused significant financial losses for several victims. "The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinates activities related to combating cybercrime in the country.

MHA is closely working with other ministries and their agencies, RBI, and other organizations to counter these frauds. I4C is also providing inputs and technical support to police authorities of states/UTs for identifying and investigating the cases," reads a statement from the ministry.

"Citizens are advised to be alert and spread awareness about these types of frauds. On receipt of such calls, the citizens should immediately report the incident on cybercrime helpline number 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in for assistance," it added.

Police agencies, notably the Noida police's cybercrime department, have also emphasized the need for authenticating strange calls and validating callers' credentials via official websites rather than search engines like Google or Bing, where criminals frequently publish phone numbers.

Experts said the demand for money should immediately raise a red flag because no genuine inquiry can be terminated just because an accused paid an investigator. Even if that happened in a true investigation, it would be considered a bribe.

Additionally, they emphasized that no one may be forced to always have their video or microphone on and that Indian law does not allow for "digital arrests." The police number or cyber helpline 1930 should be used to report any such calls.