Nagpur woman, 70, foils "digital arrest" scam by switching off her phone

Nagpur: Many people have lost the savings of a lifetime after being caught in cyber criminals' "digital arrest" trap. But awareness of cyber fraud helped an alert elderly woman avoid being cheated.

Asha Sontakke, 70, who lives in Gokulpeth, received a call from cyber criminals on the afternoon of November 6, who tried to put her under "digital arrest". She did not panic and did not fall for the fraudsters' talk. She immediately switched off her mobile phone, and the criminals' entire plan failed.

According to the information available, the cyber criminals who called Sontakke are unknown. They tried to frighten her by suggesting she was implicated in a serious case and to scare her with the threat of digital arrest. However, since she already knew the methods of cyber fraudsters, Sontakke gave them no reply and cut the call.

The criminals kept trying to contact her repeatedly after that. Sontakke still did not respond. Because of her alertness, the fraudsters could not succeed in their scheme.

Sontakke has now appealed to citizens not to be frightened by any call from an unknown number. She has also asked people not to fall for the false assurances of those who threaten digital arrest in the name of the police or any government agency. In her view, awareness and alertness are the biggest weapons against cyber criminals.