Arrest digital pranks, bolster redressal

The chilling line from the series Jamtara, 'Sabka number ayega', is no longer fiction. Cybercrime has morphed from harmless pranks into a sophisticated menace, with digital arrest scams emerging as one of its most treacherous forms. It's so grave that the Supreme Court recently took suo motu cognisance after an elderly couple lost ₹1 cr to a fake arrest ploy. MHA and CBI told the court these scams have robbed people, mostly senior citizens, of nearly ₹3,000 cr, exposing a deeply entrenched network.

While the elderly remain prime targets due to limited digital awareness, they are far from the only victims. A software engineer in Bengaluru was recently told her Aadhaar card was linked to a drug trafficking case. The caller, posing as a customs official, demanded ₹5 lakh to 'clear her name'. Her quick verification through official channels helped her uncover the scam in time. These frauds follow a chillingly consistent pattern: impersonation of law enforcement officers, use of fake documents, spoofed calls, and behavioural tactics that exploit fear, urgency and confusion. Weak cybersecurity, rapid tech evolution, dark web networks and slow legal enforcement have only worsened the threat.

India has introduced initiatives like Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), reporting portals and awareness campaigns. But helplines often fail to register cases. As in counterterrorism, scammers need to succeed just once, while security systems must be vigilant every time. Legal steps could improve IT Act implementation (including having a dedicated cyber fraud law) and platform accountability, and create a single-window redressal system. But the strongest defence remains citizens themselves making vigilance their first port of call.