The call often arrives without warning. A voice on the line is stern, official and urgent. It does not begin with a request, but with an identity: a senior police officer, a CBI official, a prosecutor. In that moment, cybercrime investigators say, the deception has already advanced well beyond impersonation. What the fraudster is really trying to seize is not money at first, but psychological control.
In the world of the so-called “digital arrest” scam, names have become instruments of coercion. Fraudsters increasingly invoke well-known law enforcement figures, relying on the reputations those officers built in public life to frighten victims into compliance. The tactic is both simple and precise. A famous officer’s name carries institutional weight, cultural recognition and, in many cases, an aura of severity. For a victim caught off guard, that alone can be enough to suspend disbelief.
Investigators say the scam works because it narrows the space for skepticism. The victim is no longer dealing with an abstract threat from “the police,” but with a specific, recognizable figure associated with authority and enforcement. The borrowed identity becomes a kind of shortcut to fear.
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Borrowing the Reputation of Real Officers
In several recent cases, investigators say, fraudsters have invoked the names of high-profile police officials, including Mumbai officer Daya Nayak and former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar. In one reported case in Ahmedabad, a retired professional was allegedly kept under what the callers described as “surveillance” for more than 48 hours. The fraudsters claimed to be subordinates of “DCP Daya Nayak” and warned the victim that disconnecting the video call could lead to immediate custodial interrogation.
Other names have surfaced in similar complaints. Investigators say cybercriminals have also invoked former police chiefs such as S. N. Shrivastava and Rakesh Asthana. The repetition of such names suggests that these scams are not improvised at random, but built around a deliberate understanding of public memory. The fraudsters appear to know which names still carry enough recognition to create fear instantly.
Officials describe this misuse of identity almost as a form of criminal branding. The name itself becomes a tool of persuasion — familiar enough to sound plausible, formidable enough to silence questions. In many first information reports across states, investigators say, a recurring identity has been “CBI prosecutor Vikram Goswami.” According to officers, that figure is not one real individual at all, but a scripted persona used by different callers to lend uniformity and credibility to the deception.
A Performance Designed to Resemble the State
The scam does not rely on names alone. Investigators say the callers often stage elaborate video interactions meant to resemble official proceedings. Victims are shown backdrops that look like police offices, complete with files, national emblems and even the sound of wireless communication in the background. The caller may wear a police uniform, though officers note that the insignia are often incorrect. But by the time such details might matter, the performance is already doing its work.
The visual setting is frequently reinforced with documents sent over messaging platforms. These may include fake notices bearing the logos of the Delhi Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation or other government agencies. The effect is cumulative. A name, a uniform, an office-like setting and forged paperwork combine to simulate the machinery of the state.
In some cases, investigators say, fraudsters go further by citing real government offices to deepen the illusion. The office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations), for instance, has reportedly been referenced in scam calls, sometimes with random names attached to a genuine address in Dwarka. That layering of real and false details appears designed to make verification harder in the moment, especially for victims already under emotional strain.
What emerges is not merely impersonation, but theater: a staged investigation meant to convince the victim that a legal process is already underway and that resistance would only worsen the consequences.
Fear as the Mechanism of Extraction
The heart of the scam lies in pressure. During these calls, fraudsters often claim that the victim is linked to a grave criminal case — money laundering, organized crime, narcotics trafficking — and warn that the matter could be escalated to agencies such as the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate or even the Reserve Bank of India if the victim fails to cooperate. The objective is to create what investigators describe as a psychological cage, a state in which the victim feels isolated, watched and unable to seek outside help.
That is why many digital arrest scams stretch over hours or even days. The fraudsters do not simply demand money immediately. They first try to establish dominance, often insisting that the victim remain on continuous video call, avoid speaking to family members and follow instructions as though under official custody. The technology is ordinary — a smartphone, a messaging app, a camera — but the emotional structure resembles confinement.
Cybercrime officers say the only real defense is awareness. The essential fact, they stress, is simple: police do not arrest people over video calls or messaging platforms. No legitimate investigation is conducted through a smartphone screen in the manner these fraudsters describe. A retired senior officer whose name has also been misused in similar scams put it plainly, investigators say: once people understand that the law does not operate this way, the illusion begins to collapse.
And yet the durability of the scam suggests how powerful that illusion remains. In these cases, fraudsters are not just stealing money. They are hijacking the public meaning of authority itself — borrowing familiar names, staging institutional rituals and turning the reputation of law enforcement into an instrument of private extortion.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
