Digital Arrest Scams: How They Work and What the Supreme Court Has Directed: An Illustrative Scenario in Kolkata

The example below is a constructed hypothetical, built to show how these rules apply in practice. It does not describe any real person or matter.

The illustrative scenario

The question

The question most people in this position want answered is:

How the general rule applies

Typically, a 'digital arrest' is not a recognised legal process in India. No police officer, court, or enforcement agency can arrest or detain a person over a video call.

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of digital arrest scams on 17 Oct 2025, after an Ambala couple lost ₹1.05 crore to forged Supreme Court and Enforcement Directorate orders.

On 1 Dec 2025, the Supreme Court directed a pan-India CBI probe, including into bankers who opened mule accounts used in such frauds.

No. There is no such thing as an arrest conducted over a video call. It is a fraud technique that imitates the appearance of a police or court proceeding to pressure victims into transferring money.

What often gets missed in situations like this

• Believing that cooperating or paying will 'close' a fabricated case — these scams rely on panic, not any real legal process.
• Deleting messages or screenshots before reporting, which removes evidence that helps trace the fraud.
• Waiting beyond the reporting window before contacting your bank — see our page on reporting timelines and liability for why speed affects your legal position.

Where this scenario is set (Kolkata)

• The High Court with jurisdiction is the Calcutta High Court.
• Matters at the district level are generally handled at the Kolkata City Civil Court or Presidency Small Causes Court.
• The relevant police authority is Kolkata Police.
• Cyber complaints in the area are generally routed through the Kolkata Police cybercrime branch (Lalbazar).

As noted above, this scenario is a constructed illustration used to explain the general rule — it does not describe a real client, case, or outcome.

For the general rules, see Digital Arrest Scams: How They Work and What the Supreme Court Has Directed, Bank Account Freezes in Cyber Fraud Cases: An Unsettled Area, Reporting Cyber Fraud: Timelines and Your Liability, and Where to Report Cyber Fraud: Portals, Helplines, and e-Zero FIR.

If you would like this looked at against your own facts, a consultation is a reasonable next step.

This overview is general information, not legal advice. Procedures and local practice can differ, so a specific review of your matter is advisable before acting.