Rajasthan govt issues cybersecurity advisory; warns against digital arrest and call forwarding scams
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government, on Monday, issued a comprehensive advisory to create public awareness about cybersecurity and cyber hygiene, urging citizens to remain vigilant against rising cases of digital arrest scams and call forwarding frauds, government officials said.
In a digital arrest scam, cybercriminals impersonate officials from law enforcement or investigative agencies such as the Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Narcotics Department, or other government bodies.
Victims are intimidated through phone or video calls and coerced into paying money by threatening fake legal action, officials added.
Fraudsters contact victims via Interactive Voice Response calls, phone calls, or video calls, falsely claiming to be officials from agencies such as the Police, CBI, ED, Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the Department of Telecommunications.
In some cases, the fraudsters use fake police station setups, uniforms, and official-looking backgrounds to appear credible, officials said.
“Victims are falsely accused of serious offences such as sending narcotics, fake passports, or illegal SIM cards through courier services (for example, FedEx/DHL) and make misuse of Aadhaar or bank accounts. They (online fraudsters) also indulge in money laundering or terrorist financing,” they added.
“In certain cases, scammers threaten to implicate a family member in an accident or criminal case. Victims are often forced to stay continuously on video calls via WhatsApp, Skype, or similar platforms to prevent them from contacting others. Money is then demanded in the name of settlement, avoiding arrest, keeping the matter out of the media, or as fines or “verification charges”,” officials said.
Police officials shared important facts, saying that no law enforcement agency carries out arrests digitally, no government official demands money over phone or video calls and no official investigation is conducted through WhatsApp, Skype, or Telegram.
The advisory also cautions against call forwarding scams, wherein criminals pose as courier or delivery agents and trick victims into dialling specific USSD codes.
Officials also shared how criminals operate work and said that scammers contact victims under the pretext of parcel confirmation or rescheduling and ask them to dial USSD codes starting with 21, 61, or 67.
“Dialling these codes activates call forwarding, causing bank verification calls, OTPs, and WhatsApp/Telegram verification calls to be redirected to the fraudsters. This can lead to hacking of bank accounts, digital wallets, and social media accounts,” officials said.
Shedding light on preventive measures for people against falling prey to online cyberfraud, the officials told that never dial any USSD code shared by an unknown or suspicious caller, dial ##002# immediately to disable all call forwarding services, do not click on suspicious links received via SMS, WhatsApp, email, or social media and verify courier or delivery-related information only through the official website or authorised helpline of the concerned company.
The Rajasthan Home Department has appealed to citizens to remain alert, avoid responding impulsively to suspicious calls or messages, and promptly report cybercrimes.
Complaints can be filed at the nearest police station, through the Cyber Helpline ‘1930’, or online at cybercrime.gov.in, officials added.
Citizens are advised to report any financial loss as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, to increase the chances of recovery, officials said.