A video call from a 'Mumbai Police officer'. Your Aadhaar is linked to a money-laundering case. A 'CBI notice' with your photo appears on screen. You are told you are under 'digital arrest' — you must stay on camera, tell no one, and transfer your savings to a 'safe RBI account' for verification. Over 92,000 Indians reported exactly this in a single year, losing more than ₹2,140 crore.
Here is the single most important sentence on this page: there is no such thing as digital arrest in Indian law. Not in the BNSS, not in the IT Act, not anywhere. No police force arrests anyone over video call, and no investigation agency ever asks money to be moved for 'verification'. The entire premise is fiction.
How the script actually works
- Contact: a call claiming your parcel/SIM/Aadhaar/bank account is linked to crime — drugs, money laundering, human trafficking
- Transfer to 'senior officers': uniformed men on Skype/WhatsApp video in fake police stations with forged IDs and letterheads
- Isolation: 'you are under digital arrest — do not disconnect, do not tell family, this is a national secrecy matter'
- The drain: transfer everything to 'RBI safe accounts' for 'verification' — with a promise it returns in 24 hours. It never does
If it is happening to you right now
Disconnect. That is it — there is no consequence, no warrant, no case. Real police who genuinely need you serve written notice under Section 35 BNSS/Section 179 BNSS; they do not video-call and they never touch your money. Then report the numbers on 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in the same day, even if you paid nothing — your report helps dismantle the racket.
If money has already gone
Move immediately — this is a pure golden-hour case. Call 1930 with every UTR number, file the NCRP complaint, and get legal notices to your bank and the beneficiary banks the same day. Digital arrest proceeds move through mule account layers fast, but amounts reported within 24–48 hours are frequently held mid-chain. From there, a legal refund process — representation to the investigating officer, magistrate application for release of held funds — brings held money back.
For elderly victims — who these gangs target deliberately — families should also act on the emotional side: no shame, no blame. These are professional psychological operations that have defeated retired judges and bank managers.
The legal position
Impersonating a public servant (BNS Section 204), extortion (Section 308), cheating (Section 318) and identity offences under the IT Act all apply — these rackets face serious prosecution when traced. As counsel for victims, our job is twofold: pursue the money through the hold-and-refund process, and build the record that protects you fully as the victim of the crime.
Facing this situation right now?
Reading helps; acting decides. The first consultation is free, confidential and honest — call +91 78629 82475 or WhatsApp us any time.
