New Delhi, May 15 (MExN): The Union Home Ministry has issued an alert against intimidation, blackmail, extortion and “digital arrests” by cyber criminals posing as police or other law enforcement agencies.
The MHA issued the alert following large number of complaints being reported on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) regarding intimidation, blackmail, extortion and “Digital Arrests” by cyber criminals posing as Police Authorities, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate and other Law Enforcement Agencies.
In a statement via PIB, the MHA informed that fraudsters typically call potential victims and inform that the victims have either sent or are the intended recipient of a parcel, which contains illegal goods, drugs, fake passports or any other contraband item.
Sometimes, they also inform that a near or dear one of the victim has been found to be involved in a crime or an accident and is in their custody, it said.
A demand for money is made to compromise the “case,” it added.
On receipt of such calls, the citizens should immediately report the incident on cybercrime helpline number 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in for assistance, the MHA said.
What is ‘digital arrests’ scam?
In certain instance, the MHA informed that unsuspecting victims are made to undergo “Digital Arrests” and remain “visually available over Skype or other video conferencing platform to the fraudsters, till their demands are met.”
The fraudsters are known to use studios modeled on police stations and government offices and wear uniforms to appear genuine, it said.
Across the country, several victims have lost large amounts of money to such criminals, the MHA stated, terming it an “organised online economic crime” and reportedly being operated by “cross-border crime syndicates.”
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the MHA, which coordinates activities related to combating cybercrime in the country, is closely working with other Ministries and their agencies, RBI and other organisations to counter these frauds, it said.
The I4C is providing inputs and technical support to Police Authorities of States/UTs for identifying and investigating the cases, it added.
As per the MHA, more than 1000 Skype IDs involved in such activities have been blocked in collaboration with Microsoft, as per the MHA.
In addition to assisting in the blocking of SIM cards, mobile devices, and mule accounts utilsed by these fraudsters, the I4C, through its official account ‘Cyberdost’, disseminates a range of alerts via infographics and videos across multiple social media platforms, it further stated.
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