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Scam explainer

Digital arrest scam also called Fake CBI/police video call, Digital house arrest, FedEx/TRAI call scam

Callers posing as police, CBI, ED, TRAI or customs claim you are linked to a crime, keep you on a video call for hours or days and make you move savings to a 'safe' account.

Published
Conceptual illustration: a phone and handcuffs. Text: DIGITAL ARREST IS A SCAM.

AI-generated illustration by CyberShitty. Not a photograph or a document from the organisations named.

How it works

  1. A call or WhatsApp message says a parcel, SIM or Aadhaar in your name is tied to drugs, money laundering or trafficking.
  2. You are 'transferred' to a police, CBI or ED officer who moves you to a video call, often with uniforms, an office backdrop and official-looking warrants.
  3. You are told you are under 'digital arrest': stay on camera, tell no one, and do not leave the room.
  4. To 'clear your name', you are told to send savings, break fixed deposits or take a loan and transfer the money to a 'verification' or 'RBI' account.
  5. The pressure continues until the money is gone; the account belongs to a mule and the funds are moved on within minutes.

Composite example, not a real case

The parcel call that became a two-day video call

  1. Meena, 58, a retired teacher in Pune, gets a call saying a parcel in her name holds drugs and fake passports, and that her Aadhaar is linked to money laundering.
  2. She is 'transferred' to a man in police uniform on a video call. Behind him is what looks like a police station, and he sends an arrest warrant over WhatsApp.
  3. He tells her she is under 'digital arrest'. She must stay on camera, keep the door shut and tell no one, not even her son, or she will be jailed.
  4. To 'clear her name', she is told to break her fixed deposits and send the money to a 'verification account' that will be refunded after the inquiry.
  5. She transfers her savings over two days. The account belongs to a mule, and the money is moved on within minutes.
  6. When the calls stop, her son helps her call 1930 and file on cybercrime.gov.in. How much can be held depends on how far the money has already moved.

Who gets targeted

Anyone can get this call, because the script only needs a name and a phone number. TRAI has said senior citizens need to stay especially alert.

Red flags

  • No Indian agency arrests or questions anyone over a video call; 'digital arrest' does not exist in law.
  • You are told to keep the call secret from family, your bank or a lawyer.
  • You are asked to move money to an account for 'verification' or 'safe custody'.
  • Warrants, ID cards or court orders are sent over WhatsApp.
  • The call started with a parcel, courier, TRAI or SIM-disconnection claim.

What to do

  • Hang up. You can end any call from someone claiming to be police; a real notice comes in writing through proper channels.
  • Talk to a family member or your local police station before doing anything the caller asks.
  • If money has gone, call 1930 at once and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in; the first hours decide whether funds can be frozen.
  • Tell your bank immediately and ask it to flag the receiving account.
  • Report the number or WhatsApp account through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi, even if you lost nothing.

How to protect yourself

  • Remember one rule: no Indian agency questions or arrests anyone over a phone or video call. A real notice comes in writing through proper channels.
  • Agree with your family that anyone who gets a 'police' or 'CBI' call will hang up and tell someone at once. The scam depends on keeping you alone.
  • Do not trust the number on your screen. The government says scammers have used international calls spoofed to show Indian mobile numbers.
  • To check, look up your local police station's number on an official website and call it yourself. Never use a number or link the caller gives you.
  • Never share Aadhaar, PAN, bank details or OTPs on a call, and never install an app a caller asks for.
  • If a caller says a SIM in your name was used in a crime, check the connections in your name on Sanchar Saathi instead of arguing with them.

Official tools, explained

Step-by-step guideDigital arrest scam: how to recognise the call, what to do on it, and what to do if you paid

The numbers

Complaint numbers have fallen sharply since the 2024 peak, but losses per case remain very high. In August 2026 the Supreme Court issued interim directions, including an RBI procedure for holding debits in mule accounts (SCC Online).

Questions people ask

Can police or the CBI arrest you on a video call?

No. 'Digital arrest' does not exist in Indian law, and the government has said no agency conducts investigations over phone or video calls. Anyone who tells you to stay on camera until you pay is running a scam.

Is it safe to just hang up?

Yes. You do not need anyone's permission to end a call, and TRAI's advice is to hang up on threatening or suspicious calls. Then talk to a family member and report the number.

They knew my name and Aadhaar number. Does that mean the call is real?

No. Knowing your details does not make a caller genuine, and the warrants and ID cards they send over WhatsApp are fakes. Check with your local police station using a number you look up yourself.

I did not pay anything. Should I still report it?

Yes. Report the number or WhatsApp account on Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi within 30 days. The Department of Telecommunications uses these reports to re-verify, disconnect and block numbers used in scams.

Will I get my money back?

It depends mostly on speed. If you call 1930 quickly, money still in the receiving account can be put on hold, but it is released only through the police and often a court order. No one can promise recovery.

Desk coverage

Sources

The example on this page is a composite built from how this scam is reported to work. It does not describe a real person.

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