Yes, there has been a recent surge in scams where fraudsters impersonate police officers over phone or video calls to threaten individuals with “digital arrests.” These scammers often claim that the victim is involved in serious crimes like drug trafficking or money laundering and demand immediate payments to avoid legal consequences. They may use spoofed numbers and fake police station backdrops to appear legitimate .

To combat this issue, the Maharashtra government has allocated ₹4 crore to equip over 51,000 Mumbai Police personnel with secure digital ID cards featuring QR codes and holographic elements. Citizens can verify the identity of police officers using a free app developed by Mumbai Police, which allows users to cross-check officers’ credentials, including their current status and photo .

In a notable case, Pune Police recently busted a fake call centre in Kharadi that scammed US citizens out of approximately ₹25 lakh daily through digital arrest threats. The call centre operated from July 2024 and was raided on the night of May 23-24, 2025, resulting in the detention of 123 individuals. Investigations revealed that the call centre executives impersonated US law enforcement officials to threaten victims with digital arrests in fictitious drug or fraud cases .

Additionally, a Delhi-based lawyer was arrested for facilitating a cyber fraud scheme by allowing scammers to use his bank account to store defrauded money. The scammers posed as police officers via WhatsApp video calls to execute a “digital arrest” fraud .

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a police officer and threatening arrest:

• Do not share any personal or financial information.
• Verify the caller’s identity using the Mumbai Police app or by contacting your local police station directly.
• Report the incident to the Cyber Crime Police Station.

Stay vigilant and always verify the identity of individuals claiming to be law enforcement officers.

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