In recent times, cases of “digital arrest” have been making headlines, with people losing substantial amounts of money. Recently, an engineer from Faridabad, Haryana, was held “digitally arrested” for six days and was defrauded of ₹3.5 lakh. In many cases, the amount of money lost has gone into crores. In such scams, fraudsters deceive people so skillfully that victims are unaware they are being conned.
In a digital arrest scam, victims willingly give their money to the fraudsters, unaware of the trap they’ve fallen into. It’s only after suffering huge losses, sometimes in lakhs or crores, that people realize they’ve been cheated. Here’s a look at whether it is possible to recover money lost in digital arrest scams and where to file complaints.
Recovering money lost in a digital arrest scam is a challenging task because victims often realize they’ve been defrauded much later. By the time they lodge a complaint, it is usually too late. Therefore, if someone falls victim to a digital arrest scam, it is crucial to report it as soon as possible. The sooner the complaint is filed, the higher the chances of recovering the lost money.
In such cases, victims must immediately call the 1930 National Cyber Crime Helpline to register a complaint. Once the complaint is filed, action is taken to communicate with the bank and block the transaction. Additionally, the account where the money was transferred is frozen to prevent the fraudsters from withdrawing the funds. Filing the complaint within 24-28 hours is critical, as it significantly increases the likelihood of recovering the money.
If you fall victim to a digital arrest scam, here’s what you should do:
- Call the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) immediately and file a complaint.
- Visit the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at https://cybercrime.gov.in/ to lodge your complaint.
- File a cyber fraud complaint at your nearest police station.
- Inform your bank by visiting the branch or calling the bank’s helpline to register the issue.
Acting swiftly can prevent significant financial losses and increase the chances of recovering your money.
