Jogulamba Gadwal, Oct.22 : District Superintendent of Police T. Srinivasa Rao issued an urgent public advisory warning citizens to stay vigilant against rising “digital arrest” scams where cybercriminals extort large sums of money by intimidating victims over video calls. Emphasizing that no legal procedure known as “digital arrest” exists in the Indian judicial system, the SP urged people not to panic when faced with fraudulent threats from callers impersonating law enforcement or judicial authorities.
The warning comes in the wake of a recent cybercrime incident within the Gadwal Town Police Station limits, where fraudsters posing as Supreme Court officials targeted a local resident. The scammers claimed that a money laundering case had been registered against the victim’s bank account and threatened to arrest family members. Under severe psychological pressure via video calls, the victim transferred ₹21.60 lakhs to the fraudsters’ accounts before realizing the deception two days later after consulting a friend.
Upon receiving a complaint, the district cyber cell promptly registered a case at the Gadwal Town PS and alerted bank officials, successfully freezing ₹9.20 lakhs of the defrauded amount while efforts to secure the remaining funds continue. SP Srinivasa Rao cautioned citizens to disregard intimidation tactics involving video calls with individuals in uniforms or fake official documents. He reminded the public never to share bank credentials or transfer money to strangers, urging victims to immediately report cyber fraud via the national helpline 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in.
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