Supreme Court Cracks Down on Digital Arrest Scams

The Supreme Court calls for a pan-India investigation into digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement to extort victims. The court seeks to use AI technology to freeze fraudulent bank accounts and stresses the importance of cooperation among states and law enforcement agencies.

The Supreme Court has mandated a nationwide investigation into digital arrest scams, following rising cases where fraudsters impersonate judicial officials to extort money. The court also questioned the Reserve Bank of India's reluctance to utilize Artificial Intelligence to track and freeze bank accounts involved in such crimes.

Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, directed several states, including West Bengal and Kerala, to cooperate with the CBI for a comprehensive probe. This directive follows complaints primarily from senior citizens who have become frequent targets of these cybercriminals due to their vulnerability.

The court has directed both the CBI and Interpol to intensify efforts in pursuing perpetrators, especially those hiding in offshore tax havens. It stressed the need for stringent telecom regulations to prevent misuse in these scams and called for the establishment of regional cybercrime centers to bolster state-level coordination.

(With inputs from agencies.)