Famous YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna shared his horrifying experience through an Instagram post on Sunday, which he went through during his 40-hour digital arrest. Although he could have lost all his hard-earned money if the bank-transaction had not failed, though 40-hours of pain and horror are unforgettable and a lesson for life and he is “sharing this so others don’t have to go through what I went through.”
In his post, Ankush wrote, “I feel so lucky to have friends with such strong instincts who noticed a change in my behaviour even when they were getting “I’m okay” texts from me. They literally saved the day. Imagine if they hadn’t come looking for me or looked for clues! I’d probably still be in that cyber arrest & would’ve lost all my money. Pls beware of this scam.”
The influencer was held hostage under digital arrest for 40 hours which has taken toll on his mental and physical health. The YouTuber is still in shock and disbelief that he fell prey to such a cyber scam. “I know a lot of you are aware of it but I don’t think a lot of people understand the extent to which these scammers can go to control you!”
Ankush got a call after his gym session from a number starting with +1 on Friday and the automated call said “Your courier delivery has been cancelled. Press zero for support. I was not expecting any currier but pressed zero out of curiosity. Biggest mistake of my life.”
Customer support answered in return and informed him about some illegal transactions, “you were sending the package to China and customs has recovered your illegal goods.” Ankush got scared and tried to convince the representative of his innocence, but he was already trapped under the cybercriminal's claws, as he was told his name and Aadhar number including other personal details were present on the package. Then he was put on digital arrest while given an hour to call the police.
“Someone has misused your identity and now you need to prove your innocence,” told the intruders who said they already knew that there was no involvement with him and they would support him to prove his side.
“He will do me a favour by connecting me to the police directly,” said Ankush. “I don’t know how but this call got transferred to a WhatsApp call which is the video call with some police officer in a fully decorated police uniform. He starts telling me that there are lots of fraud cases registered under your name including money laundering, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes. He starts interrogating me.”
The video talks about the ways scammers opt to obtain the personal information of their spray goats to increase their panic and make them agree to do what they say by threatening them in the name of family, life, and everything. The influencer was told that he was a “prime suspect” of such a big “national case” and hence he is kept under “self-custody”. Also, he was told to cut off communication from the outside world and “for the next 40 hours I will not be able to cut the call”.
In the end, he urged his followers and everyone watching this video to not fall victim to such scams and to always inform their family or friends to get out of this at the right time. Also, people should stay informed and vigilant and understand the significance of spreading awareness instead of being victims of any similar scams.
What is Digital Arrest?
There is nothing in Indian law that exists like ‘Digital Arrest’ and this is a pseudo concept introduced and completely leveraged by cyber frauds to befool people for the shake of money. Cybercriminals house arrest victims and blackmail innocent people at the cost of fraud transactions and other accusations. They demand their hard-earned money after they make them feel like the ‘prime suspect’ of illegal transactions and involvement in crimes like drug trafficking, kidnapping, and others.
How to Protect?
Cybercrime is increasing with each passing day, ready with the Aadhar and name details enough to blackmail innocent people to wipe off their hard-earned money. The foremost thing that everyone should churn is never click on any suspicious link if you don’t know why it is sent to you.
Nowadays, threat actors call people in the name of TRAI, and other regulatory authorities to create panic and take the victim into confidence. Always remember, no government regulatory authority places any call to suspend mobile or landline numbers, nor does a courier get stuck at customs, if you never placed any. Remember, confidence and awareness are the keys to protecting your assets and loved ones from any threat.
Indian Law’s Take
Digital arrest is not a legally defined term in the Indian legal system, but there are provisions for the misuse of digital platforms, cyber terrorism, or cheating through computer resources. Under the Information Technology Act, of 2000, such offenses can lead to imprisonment for up to 3 years, a fine ranging from 1 to 3 lakh rupees, or both, depending on the specific case.
Conclusion: The Rise of Digital Arrests
The concept of digital arrest is gaining traction as reliance on digital evidence to proceed with individuals trapped in cybercrimes. Cybercrime is increasing to a whole other level and is evident through several cases in the news in recent times. A recent example of a software engineer of 39-year-old from Bengaluru lost more than ₹11 crores when fraudsters posed as police officials claiming his Aadhar card was misused to initiate bank account opening for the accounts used for money laundry.
In another incidence, a 26-year-old Bengaluru-based techie woman lost ₹25.5 lakh, while kept in her 4-day digital arrest. There is another case when Pune Pune-based man and brother lost ₹2 crore to WhatsApp trading fraud.
The count will go on, as the concept of ‘Digital Arrest’ becomes common, and more and more people are falling prey to this concept created by cybercriminals. With the expansion of digital footprints, law enforcement agencies are adopting advanced tools and techniques to monitor and trace illegal activities online, making digital arrests a common practice in tackling the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime.
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