PM cautions against ‘Digital arrest frauds’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concern over "digital arrest frauds" while addressing the nation in the 115th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday. He played an audio-video clip that showed a man donning a police uniform and asking the person (victim) on the other end to share his Aadhaar number to get a mobile number blocked.

Referring to this audio clip, Modi said, “This audio is not just for information, this is not an entertainment audio...It has emerged with a deep concern. The conversation you just heard pertains to the fraud of Digital Arrest. This conversation is between a victim and a fraudster.”

The PM said these fraudsters make phone calls and at times, impersonate officials of the police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Narcotics, and at times, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). They use various labels and converse as "fake officers with a lot of confidence".

"The first move...they collect all your personal information...(like) 'You went to Goa last month, didn’t you? Your daughter studies in Delhi, right'? They collect so much information about you that you will be surprised."

“The second move – create an atmosphere of fear...uniform, government office set-up, legal sections...they will scare you so much on the phone...In the midst of the conversation, you will not be able to even think.”

“And then their third move begins. The third move – the time pressure. ‘You have to decide now or else you will be arrested’ – these people create so much of psychological pressure on the victim that one gets scared,” Modi explained.

Modi enumerated the three steps to digital security. “These three steps are – ‘Stop – Think – Take Action’,” he said. STOP: “As soon as you get a call, stop...– don’t panic, stay calm, don’t take any hasty steps, don’t give away your personal information to anyone; if possible take a screenshot and record it for sure,” the PM said.

THINK: “No government agency threatens you on the phone like this, neither inquires nor demands money on a video call like this. If you feel scared, then know that something is wrong.”

TAKE ACTION: “Dial the national cyber helpline 1930, report on cybercrime.gov.in , inform family and police, preserve evidence. ‘Stop’, then ‘Think’, and then take ‘Action’, these three steps will become the protector of your digital security.”

A word of caution

The Prime Minister said people from every class and age group fall victim to ‘digital arrest’. He added, “It is very important for you to understand this, and it is equally important for others to understand it as well.” Modi said, “You should be aware that no investigative agency never inquires like this through a phone call or a video call.”

The Prime Minister warned that there is no system like digital arrest in the law. “This is just a fraud, deceit, it is a lie, a gang of criminals and those who are doing this are enemies of society,” he said.