The way we live, work, and communicate has changed as a result of our globalised society. We now have the ability to connect, create, and exchange knowledge at a never-before-seen speed thanks to the digital revolution. It has boosted economic expansion, given people more power, and closed gaps between continents. But enormous power also comes with immense responsibility. The digital technologies have all contributed to a substantial spike in cybercrimes in India in recent years. Violent crimes such as financial fraud, data breaches, and cyberextortion are increasingly being committed online by unscrupulous individuals.
To combat these offences, law enforcement organisations, especially the cybercrime cells, have had to ratchet up their efforts. In order to combat this expanding threat, the Indian government has likewise made major legislative, policy, and capacity-building strides. The latest cybercrimes and digital arrests in India will be discussed in this article, along with the trends, crime categories, high-profile cases, and technical and legal counter measures.
An increase in cybercrimes
Over the last ten years, cybercrime incidences have dramatically increased in India. In India, cybercrime instances increased by 11.8% between 2020 and 2021, totalling over 52,974 cases, according to the NCRB’s 2021 report. This rise is a part of a larger pattern that has been seen since 2016: the number of cybercrime cases is rising annually. With 44,735 incidents in 2019, the nation had a 23.2% rise in cybercrimes between 2019 and 2021. With almost 60% of all cybercrime cases that are filed, financial fraud is still the most prevalent type of cybercrime in India. According to NCRB data, there were 31,142 fraud instances reported in 2021, a significant increase over the 24,386 cases that were reported in 2020. The growth of digital payment networks and e-commerce has presented fraudsters with new opportunities to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Malware and hacker attacks also increased, with 10,164 instances classified as “computer-related offences” in 2021. Over 17,000 WhatsApp accounts connected to digital arrest scams have been blocked by the Ministry of Home Affairs after an investigation revealed global criminal networks.
Cyber crime cases
The panorama of cybercrime in India is broad, encompassing a wide range of offences from ransomware attacks and data breaches to financial fraud. A variety of cybercrimes, including dating scams and fraudulent trading and investment, are prevalent in India. In the last 5-6 years, many fraud categories of cybercrimes emerged that the nation is now facing, like financial theft, identity theft, cyber harassment, cyber terrorism, and digital arrest. However, the “digital arrest” swindle sticks out as particularly complex and evil, carefully thought out, persistent, and intrusive into every aspect of a victim’s life.
What is digital arrest?
In the “digital arrest” scam, scammers pose as law enforcement officers ( such as ED, CBI, Police , Customs etc) during video chats, threaten to arrest victims for false accusations, and coerce them into sending significant amounts of money. For example, online scammers posing as federal investigators and even the top justice of the Supreme Court defrauded an Indian textile baron of 70 million rupees.
The IT Rules, 2021: Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
In order to control the activities of social media platforms, over-the-top platforms, and digital news portals, the Indian government announced new regulations in February 2021 under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules. These regulations mandate that social media sites, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, track out the source of damaging information and take it down within a day after it is reported by law enforcement. Some government organisations, like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), and others, are doing well, but the cyber criminals day by day become more vulnerable.
Digital takedowns and police activities
Advances in investigative tools and improved collaboration among law enforcement agencies have contributed to the rise in digital arrests linked to cybercrime in India. However, because of the internet’s wide reach and the anonymity it offers, cybercriminals sometimes operate from other states or even different countries, making it difficult to locate and capture them. A number of well-known digital arrests consist of: In the Oswal CEO case, on August 28 and 29, 2024, Mr. Oswal, the textile manufacturer’s chairman and managing director, was placed under “digital arrest” and forced to deposit Rs 7 crore into many accounts. Thus far, the police have been able to freeze these accounts and retrieve more than Rs 5 crore. The 82-year-old businessman told how the scam artists tricked him into believing he was being investigated for money laundering. In the Hyderabad Case, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) in Bengaluru has arrested two young people for their suspected involvement in a digital arrest scam that defrauded a victim out of Rs 10.61 crore. In the Bhopal women case, in the recent instance of “digital arrest” in Indore (MP), police reported on October 8, 2024, that a group of con artists had reportedly conned a 65-year-old woman out of Rs 46 lakh after putting her through a fictitious five-day interrogation. In the Mumbai case, a 58-year-old woman from Vile Parle lost Rs 1 lakh to cybercriminals who pretended to be investigating officers and put her under “digital arrest” for about 24 hours. Another such case A 58-year-old Agra government school teacher passed away from cardiac death after receiving threatening calls from fraudster acting as police, accusing her of having a daughter embroiled in a sexual scandal. In addition to demanding one lakh, the scammers intended to distribute an offensive video.
Curbing cyber crime and counter measures
The government has made a lot of steps to combat these types of frauds. Citizens can report suspected fraudulent communications that attempt to defraud telecom service consumers for financial frauds, cybercrimes, impersonation, or other non-bona fide objectives by using the government’s Sanchar Saathi (DoT)portal citizen centric services as Chakshu facility. There is nothing to be found online on Skype for any arrest, and police never request money to be deposited; always verify and report to national cyber crime reporting portal www.cybercrime.gov.in or dial toll free number 1930. These are the methods used by scammers to defraud the average person. Therefore, people should avoid falling into their trap. Since ignorant people can trick them with such technical instruments, educated people should be more cautious and watchful. In the coming days, such things will be more vulnerable in nature, so you must safeguard yourself from such things.
Conclusion
India’s growing technical progress and increased digital penetration are reflected in the rise of cybercrimes in the nation. Although the increasing number of cases is concerning, it also emphasises the need for stronger laws, more public-private sector collaboration, and increased funding for cybersecurity. Although the fight against cybercrime is far from done, law enforcement agencies have made tremendous progress in stopping cybercrime activity and making digital arrests. India has to keep improving its cyber defences in order to shield its people and vital infrastructure from cyberattacks in a time when practically everything in life is going digital. By forcing victims to live in isolation from society and not to notify the authorities, these new cybercrime strategies enable fraudsters to amass substantial wealth. However, victims may find it difficult to receive any type of assistance from law enforcement.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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