Lucknow police proposes implementation of anti-digital arrest rip-off measures

Lucknow Police has proposed an thought for the implementation of anti-digital arrest rip-off measures in view of the rising variety of such circumstances throughout the state and the nation.

In a letter addressed to the U.P. Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary, Home and different legislation enforcement companies, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Law and Order Lucknow Police Commissionerate, Vineet Singh on October 14 proposed a collaboration with WhatsApp to fight the rising menace of digital arrest scams.

“Our major answer is the event and deployment of “112Bot,” a verified WhatsApp bot operated by U.P. Police. This bot will allow customers to silently add it to suspicious conversations with express permission, permitting real-time monitoring and intervention with out compromising end-to-end encryption,” informed Mr. Singh, to The Hindu.

“This proposal attracts inspiration from Singapore’s ScamProtect Bot, an anti-scam WhatsApp instrument that detects spoofed authorities communications and supplies alerts,” added Mr. Singh. Additional options embody one-tap sharing of screenshots, caller numbers, and particulars for fast police response, modeled after Bengaluru Police’s profitable WhatsApp emergency system. 

Digital arrest scams contain cybercriminals posing as cops or Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers through WhatsApp video calls, falsely accusing victims of crimes and coercing them into transferring funds underneath threats of “digital arrest” or authorized motion. These scams exploit concern, urgency, and digital illiteracy, typically focusing on seniors and rural populations. Nationally, such scams have led to losses exceeding Rs. 1,200 crores in 2024-25, with over 50,000 circumstances reported via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in). 

“As the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Uttar Pradesh Police, my motivation for presenting this proposal stems from a deep dedication to defending the residents of Uttar Pradesh from the devastating affect of digital arrest scams. The proposal bridges the hole between conventional policing and fashionable cyber threats by leveraging the ever present WhatsApp platform utilized by over 500 million Indians for real-time intervention, making certain victims are protected in the intervening time of vulnerability,” mentioned Mr. Singh.

The ACP added such a mechanism will restore public confidence by actively monitoring and apprehending scammers via 112Bot, and likewise exhibit that U.P. police is proactive, tech-savvy, and resolute, countering the narrative that “digital arrests” create institutional weak spot.

On requested, did he examine any worldwide challenge of any international legislation enforcement company earlier than bringing out this concept in India, Vineet Singh, replied, that he gone via the Massive Blue’s Overwatch System of the United States which deploys Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered undercover bots to create lifelike personas on platforms like Telegram, Signal, and Discord for gathering intelligence on crimes resembling human trafficking and narcotics and likewise Europol’s Online Fraud Schemes Initiatives other than Singapore’s Anti-Scam initiative.