Lucknow police proposes implementation of anti-digital arrest scam measures 

Lucknow Police has suggested an idea to implement digital arrest scam measures in view of the increasing number of such cases across the state and the country.

Vineet Singh, in a letter to UP Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and other law enforcement agencies, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP), Law and Order, Lucknow Police Commissionerate, on October 14, suggested a collaboration with WhatsApp to combat the growing menace of digital detention scams.

“Our primary solution is the development and deployment of ‘112Bot’, a verified WhatsApp bot operated by UP Police. This bot will allow users to silently insert into suspicious conversations with explicit permission, enabling real-time monitoring and intervention without compromising end-to-end encryption,” Mr. Singh said. Hindu.

“This offering is inspired by Singapore’s ScamShield Bot, an anti-scam WhatsApp tool that detects fake government communications and provides alerts,” Mr Singh added. Additional features include one-tap sharing of screenshots, caller IDs and details for rapid police response, modeled after the Bengaluru Police’s successful WhatsApp emergency system.

Digital arrest scams involve cybercriminals posing as police officers or Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers via WhatsApp video calls, falsely accusing victims of crimes and forcing them to transfer money under the threat of “digital arrest” or legal action. These scams often target the elderly and rural populations, taking advantage of fear, urgency, and digital literacy. At the national level, such scams have resulted in losses exceeding Rs. 1,200 crore in 2024-25 with over 50,000 cases reported through the National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal.cybercrime.gov.in).

“As the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of the Uttar Pradesh Police, my motivation to introduce this proposal stems from my deep commitment to protecting the citizens of Uttar Pradesh from the devastating impact of digital arrest scams. The proposal bridges the gap between traditional policing and modern cyber threats by leveraging the ubiquitous WhatsApp platform, which over 500 million Indians use for real-time response, ensuring the protection of victims.” provides. vulnerability is immediate,” Mr. Singh said.

The ACP added that such a mechanism would restore public confidence by actively tracking and catching fraudsters through 112Bot and also counter the narrative that “digital arrests” create institutional weakness by showing that the UP police are proactive, tech-savvy and determined.

When asked if he reviewed any foreign law enforcement agency’s international project before launching the idea in India, Vineet Singh said he used Massive Blue’s Overwatch System, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered stealth bots to gather intelligence on crimes like human trafficking and narcotics on platforms like Telegram, Signal and Discord. Apart from Singapore’s Anti-Fraud initiative, Europol’s Online Fraud Schemes Initiatives.