Dr. Mehra expects a routine call to the patient, answering: “Yes, yes. Who is this?”
“This is Shinde, deputy inspector of the crime department of Mumbai. We have an arrest warrant for your arrest,” the voice declared.
Dr. Mehra asked in shock and confusion: “What warrant is it? I don’t understand.”
“The drug MDMA was found in the express delivery addressed to you. You need to verify your account details immediately or face arrest.”
Mehra reportedly hesitated but she was confused and she agreed to provide her details. Scam With Shinde asking for funds to be transferred to the account for “verification purposes”. She believed in the voice on the other end, as shown – handed over Rs 45 crore. It wasn’t until later that she realized she had become the victim of a digital arrest scam where the scammers disguised themselves as law enforcement officers and ransom money. Digital arrest scams are on the rise, with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) documenting a shocking increase in cases.
In 2022, the portal recorded 39,925 cases, with victims losing a total of Rs 910 crore.
But by 2024, the number of cases has almost tripled to 1,23,672, with the number of frauds soaring to Rs 19,355 crore.
In the first two months of 2025 alone, there were reported cases of 17,718, totaling Rs 2,102 crore.
These scams follow a disturbing consistent pattern. As a liar who is impersonated by law enforcement officers, contact the victim via phone or video chat, claiming that the individual or his family is associated with serious crimes such as drug trafficking or money laundering.
Toy said victims were forced to transfer funds to “verify” their innocence, while fraudsters used scary tactics to isolate and blackmail them.
The huge scale of this problem prompted Modi to address the country in his Mann Ki Baat speech in October 2023, warning the public about the dangers of digital arrest scams.
In the speech, Modi posted a recording of the scam to highlight the seriousness of the problem, urged citizens to remain vigilant and stressed that there were no legitimate government agencies to investigate via phone or video call.
Delhi police have stepped up efforts to resolve the growing crime, claiming to follow up on every reported case. “
Once we receive a complaint, our first priority is to freeze and stop sneaky money. After that, we track account owners and callers. The scammers try to eliminate their digital footprints, but we have identified them in most cases. ” A senior cyber cell official told TOI.
