Digital Arrest Scams: Skype Enables Live Warnings, Disables Major Fake Police Handles
The live warnings have reportedly been implemented at the request of the government and will be triggered by certain keywords. The warning will also advise users to report suspicious messages and provides options to report and block such handles
“Indian legal authorities will NEVER contact you on Skype". This is one of the warnings that may pop up when you hop onto Skype next. Amid rising instances of digital arrest scams, the popular video calling application has informed the Government of India that it has implemented live warnings on its platform for users and is also cracking down on handles that impersonate law enforcement agencies like police.
The live warnings have reportedly been implemented at the request of the government and will be triggered by certain keywords. The warning will also advise users to report suspicious messages and provides the following options:
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A senior government official told News18 that major fake police handles impersonating Narcotics Control Bureau, CBI, Enforcement Directorate and other police agencies have been disabled. However, the official noted that this step may not be enough, as cyber fraudsters can easily create new accounts.
“We have provided a list of various accounts used to scam Indians. The list contains over 100 such accounts. The major accounts have been disabled, and legal action has already been initiated against them. We have requested the company to provide details of the mobile numbers associated with these accounts," another official familiar with the development told News18.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised serious concerns over the recent cases of digital arrest scams used to dupe people in the country.
He had cautioned citizens about the increasing number of such incidents and assured them that no law enforcement agency would contact them to extort money.
What is Digital Arrest?
In digital arrest scams, scammers call victims with their personal information to appear legitimate. They impersonate police officers, government officials, or agencies and often appear sporting fake uniforms and fake ID cards. The ‘office’ in the background is also set up to make the victim believe they are dealing with real law enforcement officers.
The scammer then informs the victim that they are involved in an ongoing case and must immediately report to a police station or court. They claim the case requires urgent attention and tell the victim that they cannot leave, referring to it as a “digital arrest".
They wait for the moment when the scared victim asks them how they can make the ‘case’ go away. The scammer then asks for money to resolve the case, and the victim, believing the threat is real, sends the money and gets scammed.
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