A family in Noida was duped of over Rs 1 crore after they were kept under 'digital arrest' for five days by unknown people posing as government officials. The scammers threatened the family with arrest by making video calls and claiming to be investigating money laundering and other crimes. This is a new type of cyber fraud where the accused pose as law enforcement agency officials and use video calls to intimidate their victims.
Pavan Duggal, an authority on cyber law who is also the president of Cyberlaws.Net in this interview with rediff.com speaks at length to Vicky Nanjappa about the options India has to deal with such a situation. He also gives an insight into why India took so long to react after the Mumbai attacks and also how a ban on VoIP would affect the common man.
The Mumbai police, currently investigating a cyber slavery case involving five individuals trafficked to Laos under the pretext of job offers in Thailand, arrested the prime accused on Wednesday.
A man was arrested in Gujarat for allegedly receiving a significant portion of Rs 3.71 crore siphoned off from a Mumbai woman in a 'digital arrest' scam. The cybercriminals impersonated law enforcement and court officials, staging a fake online hearing to deceive the victim.
Maharashtra recorded the highest number of cases in the country under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2021 at 3,67,218, while Mumbai was placed second among major metropolitan cities in registration of criminal offences, according to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
The attackers are not confined to information infrastructures and geographical boundaries. They exploit network interconnections and navigate easily through the infrastructure. More worryingly, these cyber criminals are becoming more skilled at masking their behaviour.
Deven Bharti, a veteran IPS officer with experience in high-profile cases including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has assumed charge as the new commissioner of Mumbai police. He emphasized the importance of effective policing, citizen engagement, and combating cybercrime as key priorities for his tenure. Bharti, known for his investigative skills, previously served in various roles within the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Mumbai police have arrested six individuals from Gujarat, dismantling an interstate cyber fraud gang involved in digital arrest scams, including one where a businessman was defrauded of Rs 58 crore.
In the purported 27-second clip, which seems to have been edited using artificial intelligence (AI), Khan could be seen talking about staying away from rhetoric (jumla).
Some online fraudsters got their target and timing horribly wrong on Sunday after they attempted to 'digitally arrest' a senior police official with an automated call over 'credit card misuse' while he was addressing a press conference in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party in his 35-year career and the viral video of the Bollywood superstar is "fake" and alarming, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
A magistrate court in Mumbai directed police to probe the complaint of a man who claimed some unknown persons had hacked his social media accounts by placing a microchip in his body.
Targets should avoid panicking and hang up. 'Disconnecting stops the scammers from building psychological pressure.'
Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes in order to scam them. The offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology.
This follows an earlier incident on May 22, 2025, in which a large quantity of drugs was seized near the Nungambakkam railway station, according to a Greater Chennai Police press release.
'Bigg Boss is no more a family show.'
The directions follow a report by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which has seen a new pattern of transnational cyber-enabled financial fraud and investment scam, impersonating as stockbrokers and company executives.
'Not all of are like Saif Ali Khan who fought back when his family was threatened.'
In the month of May, the victim got a call from a person identifying himself as telecom department staffer Amit Kumar, who told her a SIM card had been bought with her personal details for use in criminal activities.
The raids were linked to a sophisticated organised investment fraud scheme targeting unsuspecting individuals through fake mobile apps and WhatsApp groups.
Fraudsters lure individuals with false promises of recovering bonuses or maturity proceeds from lapsed policies.
A team led by Mumbai cyber unit's Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmi Karandikar started a probe into the case and formed teams comprising personnel from the east, central and west region cyber police stations here to nab the culprits, the official said.
According to the spokesperson, Singh has filed a police complaint and the FIR has been lodged for further investigation by the cyber crime cell.
'The hackers' objectives were centred around smearing India's reputation, causing productivity loss, creating operational damage and seeking financial gains.'
In an e-mail received by the Hotel Taj in Chennai two days back, an unidentified person has threatened to carry out an explosion at the premier hotel in Mumbai. The mail is currently being investigated by the cyber crime cell of the police, they said.
The cyber crime cell of the Pune police has arrested a Mumbai-based teacher for allegedly uploading a clip on a website which provoked attacks on people from north-east in Pune and other parts of the country in August. "The teacher, Sharif Ahmed Bashir Siddiqui, of Kurar village in Malad (suburban Mumbai) had uploaded the clip from his home computer. The clip was named Burma Riots -- Thrilling Pictures 2012," said a police officer.
Even if the Mumbai police gets to seek the e-mails, it might not bring positive results.
In the new world order, threats are varied and ever increasing -- whether it's the pandemic, terrorism, law & order situations or cyber-crimes, and Mumbai being the financial capital of the country is always at the centre of it. The 2021 Mumbai Police calendar, shot by ace photographer Pravin Talan, imaginatively projects the many facets of the force whether it is policemen in PPE kits or Bomb suit, ferocious Belgian Malinois dog, QRT commando teams with MP- 5 and Ak-47 patrolling at nights or the more emotional pictures like a policeman fixing a little girls bicycle. Take a look.
As per the ED, a website was engaged in unauthorised online betting in various sports including tennis, cricket, soccer, basketball, badminton and boxing, and live-streamed Indian Premier League matches without any permission.
A purported video of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya showed him in a compromising position,
The accused made the video on a highway in Rajasthan and uploaded it on his channel.
What the celebrations overlook is that the law covered cyber crime which users will now be vulnerable to.
The policy proposes a contingency plan to handle cyber attacks on vital installations and critical infrastructure.
A 45-second video clip posted on the Twitter handle @RanaAyyub on February 25 shows some men attempting to place a saffron flag and the National tricolour on what looks like a minaret, against the backdrop of billowing black smoke.
The victims were promised IT sector jobs in Thailand by an agent.
The station was evacuated as a preventive measure.
A court in Uttarakhand granted Mumbai police four-day transit remand of Shweta Singh so that she could be brought to the city.
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has met auto-rickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who rushed him to hospital after he was injured in the knife attack at his home in Mumbai in the wee hours last week, and thanked him for the timely help.
On Tuesday, Gujar was produced in a Mumbai court, which extended his police custody for three more days.
