There is no such thing as a “digital arrest” in Indian law. Police, CBI, ED, customs and RBI do not arrest, question or “keep you under watch” over a video call, and never ask you to transfer money to “verify” it.
How it usually goes
- A call or message says a parcel in your name contains drugs, or your Aadhaar is linked to a crime.
- You are “transferred” to an officer in uniform on a video call, sometimes in what looks like a police station.
- You are told not to tell anyone and to stay on camera, sometimes for hours or days.
- To “clear your name”, you are asked to move money to a “safe RBI account”, or to share OTPs.
What to tell your parents
- Hang up. A real officer will never mind you checking.
- Call a family member immediately. The scam depends on you being alone.
- Never move money to “verify” anything.
- If money has gone, call 1930 at once.
How Namaskara helps
The first message from a stranger arrives as a request with no links and no calls. Wording about arrest, customs and “verification” is flagged in the reader's language. OTPs and card numbers will not send, however convincing the caller is. And the Safety tab lists every official place to report.
Government figures: I4C reported blocking more than 59,000 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrest (Press Information Bureau, PRID 2082761).
