A total of 23 FIRs were registered under the Digital Arrest category between 2023 and till July 21, 2025, with 13 of these were reported in the first half of 2025 alone — pointing to a rising trend in the crime, reveals data from the Chandigarh Cyber Crime police station, adding the police, in response, arrested a total of 34 accused — 23 this year alone.
As per recent reports, digital arrests are typically done by fraudsters impersonating officials from the CBI, ED, NCB, or even the judiciary. Fraudsters often use WhatsApp or video calls to convince victims they are under legal scrutiny, then coerce them into transferring money to “safe government accounts” to avoid arrest or legal action. The deception is deepened by forged documents and fake courtroom settings to psychologically corner victims, usually elderly individuals living alone or retired government servants.
Fraudsters often use WhatsApp or video calls to convince victims they are under legal scrutiny, then coerce them into transferring money to “safe government accounts” to avoid arrest or legal action.
One of the most high-profile cases in 2025 involved a retired Colonel, resident of Sector 2. In March, the couple was duped of Rs 3.41 crore after being virtually arrested through a fake video call by impersonators claiming to be “Enforcement Directorate officials”. They were told they were under “investigation linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal”. The fraudsters created a fake narrative, complete with fabricated documents and persistent video threats, effectively isolating the couple for ten days until they transferred the money.
In a similar case reported in May, an 82-year-old woman in Sector 10 lost Rs 2.5 crore. She was first contacted by someone posing as a TRAI officer and later subjected to video calls from people pretending to be “from the CBI and the Supreme Court”. Over several days, she was “emotionally manipulated and coerced into transferring her life savings to clear her name”.
In another case, a 70-year-old retired chief architect, also from Sector 10, was targeted similarly and ended up transferring Rs 2.5 crore to unknown accounts. Police investigations revealed that “the fraudsters had used deepfake-style video calls and counterfeit legal documents to maintain the illusion of an official investigation”.
In July, a woman from Sector 34 lost Rs 77.4 lakh to a similar scam. She was threatened with arrest and shamed into cooperating with what she believed were legitimate legal instructions.
SP (Cyber Crime) Geetanjali Khandelwal said, “The psychological tactics used in these scams, like prolonged intimidation, fake court summons and staged digital hearings, are especially effective against senior citizens. The victims are often too frightened to share the ordeal with family or question the authenticity of the threats.”
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“We have got a survey done of victims of Cyber Crime, which included the digital arrest victims, to ascertain how they were duped, and to learn about the accused callers’ tactics,” the SP said.
Khandelwal said, “The Chandigarh Cyber Cell has been actively pursuing such cases and has made multiple arrests in 2025. Several fraud networks operating from outside the state have been busted, with arrested individuals revealing pan-India operations involving fake call centres and money mules.”
Police officers, however, warned that such scams are “spreading fast”, emphasising “the term digital arrest has no legal standing, because no law enforcement agency will ever demand money over video calls or threaten citizens into secrecy”.
Police appeal to citizens, especially the elderly, to stay alert and immediately report any suspicious calls to the Cyber Crime police station, and advise family members to stay in regular contact with senior members and guide them on digital fraud awareness.
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331 online fraud FIRs in 2.5 years
The Cyber Crime police station registered a total of 331 FIRs in connection with online frauds between 2023 and July 21, 2025 — 133 in 2023, 112 in 2024, and 86 till July 21, 2025, according to official data. A detailed analysis shows online fraud, including investment and e-commerce scams, has emerged as the most common cybercrime, accounting for 99 FIRs.
Police data reveals that there are 162 miscellaneous cases, which include impersonation, fake Canada calls, online loan/job frauds, romance scams, and task-based frauds, highlighting the evolving tactics of cybercriminals.
