Scammer Threatens Man With 'Digital Arrest', Only To Realize He Called A Police Inspector

As cybercrime continues to evolve, ‘digital busts’ are becoming an alarming trend, with scammers increasingly targeting unsuspecting victims by posing as law enforcement officers. These scams, which often involve fraudsters claiming to be from agencies such as the CBI or the Enforcement Directorate, use intimidation techniques to extort money and information from their targets. The latest case that highlights this growing threat concerns Inspector Feesto TD of the Thrissur cyber cell.

Two weeks ago, Feesto received an unexpected call on his official number. The caller, who identified himself as a police officer from the Maharashtra cyber cell, claimed that Feesto was under “digital arrest” for alleged links with human trafficking and drug smuggling. The scammer’s attempt to deceive Feesto lasted 45 minutes, until the fraudster realized he was speaking to a police officer.

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Feesto, who was on duty at the time, received an automated message asking him to press 9 and he would be transferred to the caller. “(I thought) if I reveal my identity, they will hang up on me. So I followed the instructions and the call was transferred,” he told The Indian Express.

The scammer, who spoke fluent English, told Feesto that his Aadhaar details were found on the dark web and were linked to criminal activities. “He shared all my details with him. I pleaded innocence and feigned ignorance about the dark web,” Feesto said, IE reported.

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The caller then escalated the situation, threatening Feesto with a “digital arrest” and warning him that his phone and activities were being tapped. Festo stayed calm and played along.

The fraudster then requested a video call, with Feesto taking advantage of the opportunity to capture the scammer’s image. When he revealed his identity as a police officer, the caller immediately hung up.

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Thrissur police are now investigating the case, although Feesto believes tracking down the fraudster will be a challenge. “If a financial transaction had taken place, detecting such fraudsters would have been easier. In this case there is only a phone call and we don’t know exactly where it came from,” he explained.

This incident highlights the increasing prevalence of digital scams in the world India. As cybercriminals continue to target individuals with increasingly sophisticated tactics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned the public about such fraud in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ speech in October. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant and informed to protect themselves from falling victim to these digital threats.