Educate seniors on digital arrest scams; urge them to seek timely help

Remind elders that genuine officials never demand money or threaten arrests over the phone or video call

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A digital arrest is a cyber scam where fraudsters pose as law-enforcement or government officials to instil fear of legal action — such as arrest, account freezing, or passport cancellation — and coerce victims into transferring money or sharing sens

Sanjeev Sinha New Delhi

4 min read Last Updated : Oct 31 2025 | 5:39 PM IST

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An 82-year-old retired Maharashtra government officer recently lost his entire life savings — ₹1.19 crore — to a “digital arrest” scam and died soon after due to shock. The Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognisance of a similar fraud in Ambala, where cybercriminals posing as law-enforcement officials extorted ₹1.05 crore from a senior citizen couple. These incidents highlight the rapid rise of digital arrest scams, in which fraudsters use fear, technology, and impersonation to defraud ordinary citizens. The challenge now is to raise awareness before more lives and savings are lost.

What is a digital arrest?

A digital

Topics : Your money Cyber fraud cyber crimes India