Digital Arrest Video Call Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

A phone call lets the scammer talk fast, sound confident and keep you from thinking. The caller ID can be faked, so it proves nothing. Digital Arrest Video Call Scam is one of the ways this shows up: Callers in uniform say you are under digital arrest on a video call and must send money to prove innocence. No agency does this. Here is how it works.

What digital arrest video call scam looks like over the phone

• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.

It usually begins with a recorded call or a message saying a parcel or SIM linked to your name was caught with something illegal. You are transferred to a second person who claims to be an officer. They move you to a video app and show a fake ID card and a backdrop that looks like a police station. They already know your name and sometimes your Aadhaar number, which makes it feel real.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• You are told you are under arrest on a video call.
• You are ordered not to tell family or disconnect.
• The caller wears a uniform in a home-like background.
• They ask you to move money to a safe or verification account.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".
• You are told to keep the call secret.

What to do

1. Hang up. You are free to end any call at any time.
2. Tell a family member or a friend straight away.
3. Do not move money, break deposits or take loans for the caller.
4. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.
5. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.
6. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 immediately and give every account and amount.
2. Tell your bank through the number on your card so it can try to hold the money.
3. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots and call times.
4. Keep all chat records and do not delete anything; stay away from further calls.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio Sentinel's Money Shield checklist asks questions before you send money, such as who asked, why and whether you were told to keep it secret. It also lets a trusted family contact be added, and a family code word helps confirm that a real relative is calling. The scam check reads messages you paste and flags fake authority and urgency. It does not monitor calls or recover money.

Full guide: Digital Arrest Video Call Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, fake app.

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