New Delhi: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Surya Kant, on Monday expressed serious concern over the increasing cases of cyber fraud related to ‘digital arrest’. He said that it is surprising that even educated people are falling prey to such frauds.
The bench, headed by Justice Joymalya Bagchi, made this observation during the hearing of a suo motu case.
Elderly woman’s case becomes a cause for concern
During the hearing, a recent case was mentioned in which an elderly woman lost her entire retirement savings to fraudsters.
The CJI stated that he was aware of the case and described it as extremely unfortunate. Attorney General R. Venkataramani informed the court that the matter was being processed expeditiously and a further hearing would be held on May 12.
How do ‘digital arrest’ scams work
The court was told that in this type of cybercrime, fraudsters call people posing as police, court, or government officials.
They intimidate victims through audio or video calls, make false allegations, and threaten legal action to force money transfers.
Emphasis on strict measures and new systems
Previously, the Supreme Court had described such cyber frauds as “robbery” and directed the central government to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
This process involves the Reserve Bank of India, banks, and the Department of Telecommunications. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also been directed to investigate such cases.
The court also mandated that a coordinated system be established to compensate victims and that banks take steps such as immediately freezing suspicious accounts.
The Home Ministry has been directed to implement these guidelines nationwide. The court also questioned why technologies like artificial intelligence are not being used more extensively to prevent cybercrime.