Digital arrest

 Digital arrest

Context:

• A new type of cybercrime called “digital arrest” scams is on the rise, in which criminals pretend to be law enforcement officers in order to trick people into thinking they are about to be arrested for made-up legal offences.
• Following increasing reports of “digital arrests” by cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officers, the central government has collaborated with Microsoft to block more than 1,000 Skype IDs used for online intimidation, blackmail, and extortion.

About digital Arrest:

• Digital arrest scams occur when cybercriminals pose as law enforcement or customs officials. They trick individuals into thinking they’re facing legal action for non-existent crimes, manipulating victims into complying with their demands. This deceptive practice exploits the fear of legal trouble to extort or deceive.
• Victims are tricked into believing”they’re under “dig” or arrest” by cybercriminals, who demand payment while making them stay visible on Video calls, leading them to self-quarantine until they comply.
• Scammers use psychological tactics, instilling fear and a sense of urgency, to pressurise victims into paying money or divulging personal details to prevent a supposed “arrest.”
• These schemes often involve fraudulent phone calls, emails, or social media communications in which the scammers allege the victim’s participation in unlawful acts like smuggling or fraud.
• Individuals frequently face requests to share confidential details or remit funds to exonerate themselves from baseless charges. Such frauds can culminate in substantial monetary detriment and the theft of personal information, with incidents documented in several Indian states.
• Examples of digital arrest include China’s deployment of a widespread surveillance system, utilising cameras with facial recognition technology to oversee and regulate its citizens. This practice has raised substantial global apprehensions about privacy and human rights.

Cyber Frauds Exploit Victims Through Coercive Tactics

• A 32-year-old woman IT engineer based in Noida was allegedly duped of Rs 3.75 lakh by holding her “hostage” over a Skype call for around seven hours, gradually withdrawing money from her account in a planned manner.
• A 50-year-old woman was allegedly put under ”digital arrest”, and was duped of ₹11.11 lakh by fraudsters claiming to be from law enforcement agencies.
• Four persons were arrested by the Delhi Police for a ‘digital arrest’ operation, in which they posed as officers and threatened people through video calls.

Modus Operandi of digital arrest:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs has outlined common ways entertained by the criminals to deceive individuals:
  • Initial Contact: Fraudsters initiate contact by phone, alleging involvement in illegal activities like trafficking drugs or fake passports.
  • Threats: They may claim that a family member has been detained due to criminal activities or an accident, instilling fear in the victim.
  • Monetary Demands: To avoid repercussions, victims are coerced into paying a large sum of money to the fraudsters.
  • Digital Arrests: In some instances, victims are coerced into staying on video calls via platforms such as Skype until they comply with demands. The criminals create fake settings resembling police stations and wear uniforms to appear authentic.

Government steps to curb it:

• Ministry of Home Affairs: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) has blocked more than 1,000 skype IDs by collaborating with Microsoft.
• Ministry of Communication: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued advisories to alert citizens about fake calls threatening disconnection and has implemented various measures to combat suspected fraudulent communications:
  • CHAKSHU: As part of the Sanchar Saathi initiative, 52 entities sending malicious and phishing SMSs have been blacklisted.
  • SMS and Handset Blocks: Nationwide deactivation of 700 SMS templates and blacklisting of 348 mobile handsets have been carried out.
  • Re-verification and Disconnections: Out of 10,834 flagged mobile numbers for re-verification, 8,272 were disconnected due to failed re-verification as of April 30, 2024.
  • Handset Blocks: Nationwide blocking of 8.6 million mobile handsets has been enforced due to involvement in cybercrime and financial fraud.

Measures to protect oneself from digital arrest:

Sustaining a practical and observant approach toward cybersecurity is the key to lowering the peril of being targeted and experiencing digital arrest. Following are certain best practices for ensuring the same:

• Cyber Hygiene: This includes maintaining cyber hygiene by regularly updating passwords, and software and also enabling two-factor authentications to reduce the chances of unauthorized access.
• Phishing Attempts: These can be evaded by refraining from clicking on dubious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources and also authenticating the legitimacy of emails and messages before sharing any personal information.
• Secured devices: By installing reputable antivirus and anti-malware solutions and keeping operating systems and applications up to date with the latest security protocols.
• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPNs can be employed to encrypt internet connections thus enhancing privacy and security. However one must be cautious of free VPN services and OTP only for trustworthy providers. 
• Monitor online services: A regular review of online accounts for any unauthorized or unlawful activities and setting up alerts for any changes to account settings or login attempts may help in the early detection of cybercrime and coping with it.
• Secure communication channels: Using secure communication techniques such as encryption can be done for the protection of sensitive information. Sharing of passwords and other information must be cautiously done especially in public forums.
• Awareness: The increasing prevalence of cybercrime known as "digital arrest" underscores the need for preventive measures and increased public awareness. Educational initiatives that draw attention to prevalent cyber threats—especially those that include law enforcement impersonation—can enable people to identify and fend off scams of this kind. The collaboration of law enforcement agencies and telecommunication companies can effectively limit the access points used by fraudsters by identifying and blocking susceptible calls.

Way Forward

• Enhancing Public Awareness: It is important to educate the public with regards to the non-existent nature of digital custodies in a clear and concise way. This can be addressed through campaigns of mass information with the participation of media,social networks and outreach civic organizations.
• Strengthening Legal Frameworks: The jurisprudence ought to develop with off themselves causing technological crimes. Through this, laws will need to be updated and introduced to even punish the offence more.
• Improving Cybersecurity Infrastructure: Shielding financial and communication systems from attacks using robust cybersecurity systems to detect and act against any fraudulent activities is key to eliminating suspicious behaviour. In addition to it, a close collaboration between banks, internet and mobile providers, and law enforcement departments should be organised.
• Effective Law Enforcement Training: Teaching law enforcement personnel about current cyber crimes as well as the most up-to-date digital investigation techniques is indeed vital. Indeed, thanks to this, the monitoring, investigation, and the culprits can be easily done.
• International Cooperation: Arrest Scams , which mostly are transnational in nature, are one of the earliest scams ever done by cybercriminals. The critical role of global coalition on knowledge pooling, legal help, and coordinated actions among cybersecurity actors is pivotal.

Examine the most common reasons for digital arrests by law enforcement agencies. How can individuals protect themselves from becoming victims of digital arrest?

What is ‘digital arrest’? What steps are taken by the government to counter online fraud and cybercriminals?