A Bengaluru software engineer, living with her 10-year-old son in Vihanan Nagar, lost nearly Rs 2 crore after falling victim to a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam in June.
Scammers, posing initially as a courier official, claimed a suspicious baggage linked to her Aadhaar card contained contraband, escalating threats via fake narcotics and cyber police officials who confined her through prolonged video calls.
Whitefield police registered an FIR following her complaint, as Bengaluru grapples with 1,417 such cases in 2025 alone and cyber losses exceeding Rs 1,800 crore citywide; no arrests reported yet, highlighting delays in tackling this menace.
Scammers’ Ruthless ‘Digital Arrest’ Tactics Exposed
The deception began innocently with a call about a seized parcel, but quickly intensified as fraudsters demanded she stay on video for “verification,” isolating her in a single room and prohibiting any outside contact under threat of immediate arrest.
“They made me believe I was under constant surveillance and would be taken into custody if I disconnected even for a moment,” the victim recounted, her terror amplified by the presence of her young son, who witnessed her distress.
Over several harrowing days, she was coerced into selling her Vihanan Nagar flat and two residential plots in Whitefield and Electronic City, liquidating assets worth Rs 1.96 crore through frantic transactions. This mirrors a chilling pattern seen in parallel cases, such as a recent incident where another Bengaluru techie lost Rs 32 crore over six months via 187 separate transfers, often using apps like Skype to maintain the illusion of authority.
Expert Advice in the Face of Rising Threats
Cybersecurity experts and police emphasise proactive defence as key to consumer safety amid this epidemic. Lt General Rajesh Pant (retd), National Cyber Security Coordinator, advises immediately disconnecting suspicious calls without engaging, verifying claims independently through the official 1930 helpline or cybercrime.gov.in portal, and never disclosing OTPs, Aadhaar details, or banking information to unsolicited callers.
Additional measures include installing reliable antivirus software like that from Quick Heal, enabling caller ID apps to flag unknowns, setting bank alerts for transactions above Rs 50,000, and blocking suspicious numbers promptly; real law enforcement never demands payments or digital confinement, experts stress.
Bengaluru police data reveals a stark escalation from zero digital arrest cases in 2022 to daily citywide losses averaging Rs 5.4 crore urging families to conduct regular awareness drills and report incidents swiftly to prevent escalation, as early intervention has saved potential victims crores nationwide.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This devastating scam not only strips families of life savings but preys mercilessly on fear and isolation, underscoring the profound human cost in an increasingly digital world where trust is weaponised against the vulnerable.
The Logical Indian stands firmly for empathy, urging a harmonious society built on kindness through widespread digital literacy campaigns, robust Aadhaar data protections, accelerated police investigations, and policy reforms like mandatory cyber education in schools to empower every citizen. By fostering dialogue and shared vigilance, we can transform victims’ pain into collective strength for positive change.
