'No system like digital arrest in Indian law; stop, think, act': PM Modi's advice on avoiding digital arrest scams

Emphasizing the seriousness of the issue, he urged citizens to adopt a 'wait, think, and take action' approach when faced with such scams.

The term "digital arrest" describes a cybercrime in which scammers impersonate law enforcement officials and threaten victims with arrest unless they pay a certain amount. Reports of this scam have been on the rise nationwide.

On Sunday, PM Modi said in his ‘Mann Ki Baat” broadcast, “The fraudsters of Digital Arrest phone calls, at times, impersonate as Police, CBI, Narcotics; at times RBI... using such various labels, they converse as fake officers with a lot of confidence.

"Many listeners of 'Mann Ki Baat' have wished that we must discuss that. Let me tell you, how these fraud gangs work. What is this dangerous game? It is very important for you to understand this and it is equally important for others to understand it as well."

“The First Move... They collect all of your personal information... ‘You went to Goa last month, didn’t you? Your daughter studies in Delhi, right?’ They collect so much information about you that you will be surprised,” he said, citing a typical scenario often reported by victims.

“The Second Move - Create an atmosphere of fear... Uniform, government office set-up , legal sections... they will scare you so much on the phone... In the midst of the conversation you will not be able to even think. And then their third move begins, the Third Move - the time pressure,” he elaborated.

“‘You have to decide now or else you will be arrested’- these people create so much of psychological pressure on the victim that one gets scared,” Modi said, elaborating the modus operandi of the scammers

Urging people to not lose their calm and fall prey to the malicious designs of the scammers, he said, “People from every class and age group fall victim to Digital Arrest. People have lost lakhs of rupees earned through their hard work, out of sheer fear.

“Whenever you receive such a call, don’t be scared. You should be aware that no investigative agency never inquires like this through a phone call or a video call.”

He then went on to tell viewers how they can foil the unscrupulous motives: “I am enumerating the three steps to Digital Security.

“These three steps are - 'Stop – Think – Take Action. As soon as you get a call, stop... - don't panic, stay calm, don't take any hasty steps, don't give away your personal information to anyone; if possible take a screenshot and record it for sure. After this comes the second step. The first step was ‘stop’ and the second step is 'think'. “

He emphasized that no government agency threatens you on the phone like this, neither inquires nor demands money on a video call like this. If you feel scared, then know that something is wrong.

“The first step, the second step and now I spell out the third step. In the first step I said - ‘Stop’... in the second step I said - 'Think', and the third step tells you - 'Take action',” he underscored.

He urged the listeners to dial the national cyber helpline 1930, Report on cybercrime.gov.in, inform family and police, preserve evidence.

He added the three steps—'Stop’, then 'Think', and then take 'Action', will become the protector of your digital security.

“Friends, I’ll reiterate that there is no system like digital arrest in the law, this is just a fraud, deceit, it is a lie, a gang of criminals and those who are doing this are enemies of society. To deal with the fraud that is going on in the name of digital arrest, all the investigative agencies are working together with the state governments,” Modi stated.

A National Cyber Co-ordination Centre has been set up to help agencies, working to eliminate the fraudsters, synchronize.

Thousands of such fraudulent video calling IDs have been blocked by the agencies. Lakhs of SIM cards, mobile phones and bank accounts have also been blocked.

“Agencies are doing their job, but for protection from scams in the name of digital arrest, it is very important that everyone is aware, every citizen is aware. Those who are victims of this kind of cyber fraud should let as many people as possible know about it. You can use #SafeDigitalIndia for awareness,” Modi stated.

Modi also urged schools and colleges to involve students in the campaign against cyber scams. “We can fight this challenge only with the collective efforts in society,” he said.