As India faces a surge in psychologically driven cybercrimes known as “digital arrests,” one cybersecurity leader argues that the country’s current strategy—relying heavily on technical fixes—cannot keep pace with criminals who target minds rather than machines. He believes the nation may need a public-health style intervention reminiscent of the Pulse Polio campaign to protect its digital population.
A Psychological Threat That Technology Alone Cannot Contain
For years, Indian authorities have leaned on technology to stem cybercrime. Tools like the government’s Sanchar Saathi platform, designed to flag spoofed SIMs and block fraudulent calls, have been heralded as the backbone of the country’s digital defense.
Yet the latest wave of cyber fraud tells a different story. In a detailed analysis, cybersecurity expert Venkata Satish Guttula argues that India is fighting a psychological war with technical bandages—and losing. “No background app can patch human fear,” he writes, pointing to the rise of sophisticated “digital arrest” scams.
These scams don’t breach devices; they breach human confidence. Criminals impersonating police or investigative agencies conduct high-definition video calls, placing victims—often middle-aged or elderly—in a state of virtual captivity until they surrender their savings.
The pattern is neither random nor opportunistic. Evidence suggests that criminals possess highly detailed financial data about their targets, enabling tailored scripts that exploit personal vulnerabilities.
Targeted Victims and a Market of Breached Data
The modern cybercriminal is not casting a wide net, Guttula notes, but conducting precision strikes. Victims are frequently high-net-worth individuals, retired government officials, or professionals with significant savings. Investigators believe the attackers rely on breached databases that reveal credit histories, asset profiles, and bank behaviors—turning generic intimidation into credible threats.
This marks a shift in India’s cybercrime economy: fraud is no longer opportunistic but industrialized, supported by data brokerage networks, foreign call centers and domestic mule-account handlers.
Among those observing this trend is a senior cybersecurity leader with nearly 25 years of experience, the Co-Founder and CEO of Suven Cybersecurity Private Limited, whose firm specializes in cyber resilience, data protection, and large-scale security assessments. A certified CISA, CISM, CDPP and ISO 27001 lead auditor, he has led multiple projects safeguarding digital infrastructure across internet-based companies. He says the escalation of psychological cybercrime “demands not just stronger tools, but a stronger society of informed, trained citizens.”
The Failure of Passive Awareness
Despite warnings from regulators and police, cyber fraud losses continue to climb. Public-awareness SMS blasts and infographics advising users not to share OTPs provide only superficial protection. Guttula argues that such messaging is “passive defense,” easily forgotten during a moment of panic.
“When a caller convincingly dressed as a police officer threatens arrest on a video call,” he writes, “a tweet you read three weeks ago about cyber safety evaporates.”
The losses reflect the inadequacy of current strategies. Money continues to flow out of Indian households, routed through a maze of mule accounts to international safe havens, while enforcement agencies remain several steps behind.
A ‘Cyber Polio’ Movement: An Unconventional Blueprint
To reverse the trend, Guttula proposes something India has implemented only once before at national scale: a public-health-driven mass mobilization akin to the Pulse Polio campaign.
The model includes:
- Door-to-door cyber volunteers providing hands-on guidance, much like health workers did for vaccination drives;
- Simulated scam demonstrations, showing citizens exactly how fraudsters operate;
- A prevention-first strategy, redirecting investment from forensic investigation after money is lost to education and behavioral immunity before the crime occurs.
Cybersecurity executives, including the Suven Cybersecurity CEO, agree that while AI-powered tools and digital forensics are indispensable, true resilience begins with people. “The human firewall is India’s most vulnerable link,” he notes, arguing that capacity building must complement technological advancement.
Author: Mr. Venkata Satish Guttula, a cybersecurity leader with nearly 25 years of experience, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Suven Cybersecurity Private Limited. He specializes in cyber resilience, data protection, and large-scale security posture assessments, holding key certifications including CISA, CISM, CDPP, and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and Implementer. Over his career, he has led numerous cybersecurity initiatives that have strengthened the digital integrity of major internet-based companies. Committed to advancing industry best practices, he remains actively involved in education and community awareness to enhance cybersecurity defenses across sectors.
