How To Protect Yourself From Digital Arrest? Experts Share Do's And Don'ts

It starts with a phone call: a fake cop, a legal threat, and a demand for a hefty amount. The number of digital arrest cases has been increasing at an alarming rate across the country, with scammers posing as police, law and government officers extorting money from people. Thousands have already fallen prey to this scam.

Cybersecurity officers have warned people to stay safe online and cautioned that relying on antivirus software or firewalls isn't enough.

What cyber experts suggest for advanced safety and security

"Digital arrest is the phenomenon of trying to put somebody in a sense of fear and panic and thereafter going ahead and extorting money from the said person under some mistaken notion so as to make the said person a victim of a cybercrime," said cyber law expert and advocate Pawan Duggal.

Sundareshwar Krishnamurthy, a cybersecurity expert at PwC India, says that banks are already using basic safety tools such as setting transfer limits and using multi-factor authentication. But to make the entire system stronger and safer, he suggests adding extra layers of security, as per Indian Express.

He advised using a tool like MuleHunter.AI, which gives bank customers a quick way to stop or block a suspicious transaction immediately. He even appreciated the way telecom operators have rolled out spam alerts to warn users about suspicious or scam messages or calls.

Rajneeth Bellary, a cyber forensics expert at EY India, said that people can protect themselves from cyber fraud by taking simple steps such as blocking and reporting unknown numbers that seem suspicious and using caller ID apps to know who is calling.

How to protect oneself from cyber fraud?

Lt General Rajesh Pant (retd), who was recently appointed as India's National Cyber Security Coordinator, said that any suspicious calls should be reported using the "Report Suspect Tab" on cybercrime.gov.in.

Apart from that, the handbook issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) to prevent digital arrest has listed some dos and don'ts.

Do's

1. Digital arrest is fake, and it doesn't exist in India.
2. Police never interrogate people over video calls.

Don'ts

1. Don't talk for too long with scammers.
2. Don't trust the caller if it is pretending to be your relative/friend asking for money; instead, call your relative back on their actual number to verify it.
3. Never send money out of fear of losing your reputation.

Mr Pant suggested that the banks should only complete large transactions after confirming with the account holder. The amount should be pre-decided when the person opens the account. For example, a person may inform the bank that the transaction above Rs 50,000 should only go through after confirming directly with them.

Here's what else you should know

1. For bank and other financial transactions, use a different phone number and keep it private.
2. If you have money in the bank or invested in mutual funds or fixed deposits, consider purchasing cyber insurance to protect against online fraud.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), several people have lost significant money to such scams.

"The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinates activities related to combating cybercrime in the country. MHA is closely working with other ministries and their agencies, RBI and other organisations to counter these frauds. I4C is also providing inputs and technical support to police authorities of states/UTs for identifying and investigating the cases," said a ministry statement. "Citizens are advised to be alert and spread awareness about these types of frauds. On receipt of such calls, the citizens should immediately report the incident on cybercrime helpline number 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in for assistance," it added.