Digital Arrest Scam: What to Do in Hyderabad and How to Get Help
Someone on a video call says you are under “digital arrest”? Disconnect. Do not transfer money. Call 1930. A Ministry of Home Affairs press release of 27 October 2024 reports the Prime Minister reminding citizens that no government agency conducts investigations via phone or video calls.
This guide explains how the “digital arrest” scam works, what the law says, what to do if you are on such a call or have already paid, and where to report in Hyderabad. It is general legal information, not legal advice.
How the scam works · If you are on the call now · If you have already paid · Getting money back from the bank · What the law says · Where to report
How the scam works
The Ministry of Home Affairs described the method in an alert of 14 May 2024. Callers posing as police, CBI, narcotics, RBI, Enforcement Directorate or other law enforcement officials claim that a parcel sent by or to the victim contains drugs, fake passports or other contraband, or that someone close to the victim has been found involved in a crime or accident and is in their custody. They demand money to settle the “case”. In some cases victims are made to stay visible on Skype or another video platform, under what the callers call a “digital arrest”, until they pay. The callers may wear uniforms and use studios made to look like police stations or government offices.
The Ministry has told Parliament that States and Union Territories are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of cyber crime, including digital arrest scams.
If you are on the call now
- Disconnect. Police do not arrest people over a video call, and you do not have to stay on the line. If the caller mentions a case, notice or summons, check it yourself with the police station or court named, using a number you look up independently.
- Do not transfer money, share OTPs, or install any app or screen-sharing software the caller asks for.
- Tell a family member or friend. Talking to someone you trust helps you check what you are being told.
- Report it on 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, even if you have not paid.
- Keep the evidence: the phone number, the video-call ID or username, screenshots, and any documents sent to you.
If you have already paid
- Call 1930 at once and report the transaction. According to I4C, after calling, a formal complaint should be made on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours using the acknowledgement number.
- Tell your bank in writing the same day, with the transaction details, and keep the bank’s acknowledgement.
- File a police complaint with the cyber crime unit for your area. Information about a cognizable offence can be given at any police station, irrespective of where the offence took place (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, section 173).
- Preserve everything: transaction IDs, bank messages, the accounts you were told to pay into, and all chats and call records. Do not delete the chats or uninstall apps.
- Be wary of “recovery” offers. Treat anyone who asks for an upfront fee to get your money back, or for OTPs or passwords, with suspicion. Money can be traced and returned only through the bank, 1930, the police and the courts.
Our guide cyber fraud: the first 48 hours explains these steps in detail.
Getting money back from the bank
In a digital arrest scam, the victim usually makes the transfer themselves, under pressure. That matters for the bank’s liability:
- Before 1 January 2027: for most banks, RBI’s rules on limiting customer liability cover unauthorised electronic banking transactions. Money you transferred yourself to a fraudster may not be treated as unauthorised, so whether the bank must refund depends on how the transaction is classified.
- From 1 January 2027: under amendment directions RBI issued on 24 June 2026 for each type of bank (commercial, small finance, payments, local area, regional rural, urban co-operative and rural co-operative banks), a transaction approved by the customer under coercion or duress from a third party counts as a fraudulent electronic banking transaction.
Either way, report to the bank and to 1930 on the same day. The details are on our cyber crime page.
What the law says
| Conduct | Provision |
|---|---|
| Cheating | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 318: up to three years, or fine, or both; up to seven years and fine where property is delivered |
| Cheating by personation (pretending to be an officer) | BNS section 319: up to five years, or fine, or both |
| Cheating by personation using a communication device or computer resource | IT Act section 66D: up to three years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh |
| Making someone hand over money by putting them in fear | BNS section 308 (extortion): up to seven years, or fine, or both; up to ten years and fine where the fear is of death, grievous hurt, or an accusation of an offence punishable with death, life imprisonment or up to ten years |
| Forged documents, including electronic records | BNS section 336 (forgery) |
| Organised crime, including cyber-crime, by a syndicate (as defined in the section) | BNS section 111: where no death results, not less than five years up to life imprisonment and a fine of at least Rs 5 lakh |
There is no “digital arrest” in Indian criminal procedure. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (section 43), an arrest involves the police actually touching or confining the person, unless the person submits to custody. A person arrested without a warrant must be told the grounds of arrest (section 47) and cannot be held by police for more than 24 hours, excluding the journey to the Magistrate’s court, without a Magistrate’s order (section 58). See your rights if police arrest or summon you.
Where to report in Hyderabad
- 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in, first.
- Your area’s cyber crime unit: the Hyderabad City, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri and Future City commissionerates each describe a cyber crime unit on their official web pages, and the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) is the state’s cybercrime agency. Locations and loss thresholds are listed in our Hyderabad Legal Help Directory.
Frequently asked questions
Is “digital arrest” real?
There is no “digital arrest” procedure in Indian law. A Ministry of Home Affairs press release of 27 October 2024 reports the Prime Minister reminding citizens that no government agency conducts investigations via phone or video calls. Disconnect and report to 1930.
What should I do if I am on a digital arrest call right now?
Disconnect, do not transfer money or share OTPs, tell a family member, and report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
I have already transferred money. Can I get it back?
Call 1930 at once, report on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours, and tell your bank in writing the same day. Whether the bank must refund depends on how the transaction is classified; from 1 January 2027, a transfer approved under coercion counts as a fraudulent transaction under RBI’s directions. That classification decides which liability rules apply; it does not by itself guarantee a refund.
Which laws apply to a digital arrest scam?
Depending on the facts, cheating and cheating by personation under sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cheating by personation using a computer resource under section 66D of the IT Act, extortion under BNS section 308, and forgery under BNS section 336.
Can the police arrest someone over a video call?
There is no “digital arrest” in Indian criminal procedure. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, an arrest involves the police actually touching or confining the person unless they submit to custody, and a person arrested without a warrant cannot be held by police for more than 24 hours, excluding the journey to the Magistrate’s court, without a Magistrate’s order.
Where do I report a digital arrest scam in Hyderabad?
Call 1930 and report on cybercrime.gov.in, then approach the cyber crime unit of your area’s police commissionerate. Locations are listed in our Hyderabad Legal Help Directory.
For a discussion about a cyber fraud with Musab Hashmi & Associates, call +91 89771 24916 or send an enquiry. Do not send OTPs, passwords or full bank details in the first message.
General legal information, not legal advice. Checked on 25 October 2026 against Ministry of Home Affairs press releases on pib.gov.in (14 May 2024, 27 October 2024, 10 December 2024), the I4C FAQ, RBI’s circular of 6 July 2017 and its amendment directions of 24 June 2026 for commercial, small finance, payments, local area, regional rural, urban co-operative and rural co-operative banks, and the gazette texts of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the IT Act.