Imagine saving money for your entire life and losing it all in a few days at the fag end of your retirement. Something similar happened to an 80-year-old man from Delhi who lost his entire wealth of ₹96 lakh in yet another digital arrest case.
He even took a gold loan after he was duped via WhatsApp by fraudsters who impersonated CBI officials. They told him that his mobile number and Aadhaar were linked to illegal activities and and faced ‘digital arrest’ for nearly a week.
These digital arrest cases are becoming increasingly common, particularly among senior citizens. Some time ago, one₹7.12 crore”> retired businessman from Hyderabad was duped of ₹7.12 crore after ‘digital arrest’.
To stay away from such frauds, it is important to stay alert and follow these tips.
Follow these tips to stay clear of digital arrest:
I. No law allows this: The entire concept of digital arrest is a scam. Fraudsters use this to dupe vulnerable and gullible people, such as senior citizens. Do not believe anyone, regardless of what uniform they are wearing in their phone’s display picture or how convincing they sound over the call.
II. Never transfer money: Your money belongs to you till the time it resides in your bank account. And the moment it leaves it for any reason, it does not belong to you anymore. So, if someone promises you that the money will be returned after your innocence is proven, don’t believe them. Whether the person claims to be from any law enforcement agency or bank, never transfer the money.
III. Report to police immediately: If someone approaches you to frame you in a case you are not part of, it is more likely a trap. Therefore, you must report to the local police. Even if someone pretends to be from CBI, it still makes sense to inform the local police.
IV. Tell friends and family: Most fraudsters target vulnerable old people, assuming that they can be intimidated. They would lose their bargaining power as soon as you inform your kin and involve them in the conversation. Even criminals are allowed to bring relatives to the court, so why would anyone not be allowed to inform others of their purported arrest?
V. When you are honest, you do not need to fear: Importantly, when someone tells you that your identity was abused to carry out a fraud, then you do not need to worry. When you are honest and do not violate any law, then you have nothing to fear. Merely because someone is claiming that you did something wrong, you can not be held guilty for that.
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