What are digital arrests, the newest deepfake tool used by cybercriminals?

Scammers are increasingly using deepfake technology to fraud people. Experts say awareness is key to prevent online scam.

An Indian textile baron has revealed that he was duped out of 70 million rupees ($833,000) by online scammers impersonating federal investigators and even the Supreme Court chief justice.

The fraudsters posing as officers from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) called SP Oswal, chairman and managing director of the textile manufacturer Vardhman, on August 28 and accused him of money laundering.

For the next two days, Oswal was under digital surveillance as he was ordered to keep Skype open on his phone 24/7 during which he was interrogated and threatened with arrest. The fraudsters also conducted a fake virtual court hearing with a digital impersonation of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud as the judge.

Oswal paid the amount after the court verdict via Skype without realising that he was the latest victim of an online scam using a new modus operandi, called “digital arrest”.

So what is a digital arrest and what measures are required to stop it?

Digital arrest is a new form of online fraud, in which scammers convince victims they are under a “digital” or “virtual” arrest and the victim is coerced into staying connected with the scammer through video-conferencing software. The fraudsters then manipulate their targets into maintaining continuous video contact, effectively holding them hostage to the fraudulent demands of the scammers.

Similar to phishing, a digital arrest, is a type of cyber-attack that involves tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information that may involve identity theft, financial loss, or stealing data for malicious purposes. The techniques have become