Relevance (UPSC): GS-II Polity & Governance (Judiciary, Cybercrime) | GS-III Internal Security

Calling it a matter of “grave concern”, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu note of organised digital arrest scams—frauds where criminals impersonate police, probe agencies, or courts using forged judicial orders to extort money. Acting on a letter from an elderly victim in Ambala, the Court sought responses from the Union Government, Haryana, and the CBI. In that case, conmen posed as CBI/ED/court officials, used phone/video calls, flashed fake orders (even under PMLA), and coerced transfers of ~₹1.5 crore. The Bench noted this is not a one-off and asked for a coordinated national response.

How the Scam Works

• Spear-phishing call/message → claim of package/drug case or bank/KYC issue.
• Threat of arrest/surveillance, display of fabricated e-orders with forged seals/signatures.
• Demand to keep the victim “online”, install remote-access apps, move money to “verification” accounts.

Why It Is Serious

• Erodes trust in courts and law-enforcement.
• Targets senior citizens, migrants, and students; cross-border call centres and mule accounts make recovery hard.

Immediate Policy To-Dos

• Verify the seal: e-Courts and Supreme Court websites should offer QR-code based order verification and digital-signature checks.
• Harden telecom rails: accelerate SIM re-verification and suspicious-call blocking via Sanchar Saathi; crack down on spoofed caller IDs and illegal VoIP gateways.
• Rapid money freeze: strengthen 24×7 1930 cyber helpline workflow—single I4C dashboard for inter-bank freezing within the “golden hour”.
• Clear legal toolkit: Section 66D IT Act (cheating by personation), IPC/financial-fraud provisions, PMLA for layered proceeds.
• Public alerts: monthly advisories in regional languages, bank/UPI in-app warnings, campus and senior-citizen outreach.

Citizen Checklist

• No agency seeks money on calls or video apps.
• Do not install remote-access apps or share OTPs.
• Verify any court/police document on official portals; call 112/1930.

Key Terms

• Suo motu: on the court’s own motion.
• Digital arrest scam: frauds impersonating authorities using fake judicial orders.
• Forged judicial order: fabricated document mimicking court/agency order.
• I4C: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
• 1930 cyber helpline: 24×7 reporting and support line for cyber-crimes.
• Sanchar Saathi: telecom tool to block stolen phones and check SIMs.
• Section 66D IT Act: punishes cheating by personation via computer resources.
• PMLA: Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Exam Hook

Link judicial integrity with cyber-security: QR-verified e-orders, faster money-freeze pipelines, telecom cleanup, and victim support are as vital as punishment.

UPSC Prelims Practice

Which are correct?

1. The 1930 hotline routes cyber-fraud complaints for rapid transaction freezing.
2. Section 66D punishes cheating by personation using computer resources.
3. Sanchar Saathi helps users block stolen phones and check SIMs linked to their identity.

Answer: 1, 2 and 3.

One-line wrap: Fight the fear playbook—verify orders, freeze fast, clean telecom pipes, and keep citizens scam-aware so courts inspire trust, not terror, on a phone screen.