New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed deep concern over the rising trend of ‘digital arrest’ frauds, observing that even educated individuals are falling victim to such scams.
A bench led by Surya Kant highlighted a case of an elderly woman who lost all her retirement savings after being targeted by fraudsters posing as officials. The court termed the situation alarming and surprising.
During the hearing of a suo motu case, Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the bench that inter-departmental discussions are underway to address the issue. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 12.
The court was told that in such scams, criminals impersonate police or investigative agencies through audio and video calls, intimidate victims and force them to transfer money.
Senior advocate N S Nappinai, assisting the court, said victims often become mentally frozen under pressure. She suggested introducing a “kill switch” mechanism through intermediaries to stop suspicious transactions and prevent financial losses.
The court noted that ‘digital arrest’ is an emerging form of cybercrime and emphasised the need for stronger safeguards, faster response systems and coordinated action among agencies to tackle the growing threat.
