No legal concept of ‘digital arrest’ in India, warns SecurEyes CEO

Bengaluru, Oct 23 : Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting fear and impersonating law enforcement officials to extort money from unsuspecting citizens through so-called ‘digital arrest’ scams, with artificial intelligence (AI) making such frauds more convincing and difficult to detect, SecurEyes CEO and co-founder Karmendra Kohli has warned.

Clarifying that there is no legal concept of digital arrest in India, Kohli said fraudsters were misusing the authority of police officers and investigating agencies to intimidate victims, isolate them from their families and pressure them into transferring their life savings.

A person cannot be lawfully arrested merely by being kept on a video call by someone claiming to be a police officer, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official or another government authority, he said, urging citizens not to give in to threats of immediate arrest without independently verifying the claims.

"Cybercriminals have moved beyond attacking technology to manipulating human emotions," Kohli said in an interview with UNI. He identified fear, trust, greed, urgency and threats to reputation as powerful triggers that often compel victims to act before questioning the authenticity of a communication.

The threat has become more complex with the growing use of AI to clone voices, manipulate videos and create highly personalised impersonation attempts. Fraudsters combine information gathered from social media, data breaches and online activities with AI-generated content to make fabricated allegations and demands appear credible, he said.

"We have reached a stage where seeing or hearing someone cannot automatically mean believing them," Kohli said, stressing the importance of independent verification, particularly when callers demand immediate action or money.

Advising citizens on how to respond to suspicious calls, he said they should disconnect and contact the person or institution concerned using a previously saved or independently verified official number. They should not rely solely on caller identification or attempt to authenticate a suspicious claim through the same channel from which it originated.

Requests for passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), screen sharing, remote access to devices or transfers to supposedly safe bank accounts should be treated as serious warning signs, he said. Families could also establish private verification words or phrases to counter attempts by fraudsters to impersonate relatives using cloned voices.

Kohli advised victims who receive threats of digital arrest to disconnect immediately, consult trusted family members or legal advisers, and independently contact the relevant law enforcement agency through its officially published contact details.

Those who have already transferred money should immediately alert their bank and report the fraud through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Screenshots, call records, messages and other available evidence should be preserved to assist investigations, he added.

The growing vulnerability of citizens reflects the rapid expansion of digital services in everyday life, from mobile banking and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions to online payments and communication, Kohli said.

While digital technology has made financial transactions and public services more accessible, it has also expanded opportunities for criminals to exploit users who share personal information online without fully understanding the risks.

"Cybersecurity can no longer be limited to protecting devices. It must also protect human judgement," he said, calling for a stronger culture of awareness in which people question unusual requests instead of reacting impulsively to fear or pressure.

Reflecting on India's cybersecurity evolution, Kohli said that when SecurEyes was established in 2006, cybersecurity was largely regarded as an IT issue or a compliance requirement. It has since moved into the boardroom, with organisations increasingly recognising cyber threats as risks to business operations, continuity and reputation.

SecurEyes, which marks 20 years in the industry, has expanded from its first client to serving more than 1,000 organisations across over 30 countries, with a workforce of more than 400 employees, he said.

The company's work spans cybersecurity consulting, services, products, governance, risk and compliance, technical assessments, resilience, training and education.

Kohli also highlighted emerging opportunities in AI for cybersecurity and cybersecurity for AI, alongside cloud security, digital forensics, incident management and cyber resilience.

Speaking in the context of Cyber Career Week, being held from October 19 to 24, he said cybersecurity offered opportunities for students and professionals beyond conventional technology backgrounds, including those from law, psychology, finance, auditing, operations and risk management.

Building strong fundamentals, undertaking practical projects and acquiring hands-on experience were essential for aspiring professionals, he said, adding that effective cybersecurity required technical knowledge, business understanding, communication skills and integrity.