Context
- SC ordered CBI to conduct a pan-India probe into rising digital arrest scams.
- This is significant because CBI normally requires state consent (Section 6, DSPE Act) to investigate cases within a state.
- Court overrode state consent due to exceptional scale (₹3,000+ crore lost) and high targeting of senior citizens.
What is Digital Arrest?
A cyber-extortion scam where criminals impersonate police/CBI/ED/RBI and force victims to stay on a continuous video call (“virtual arrest”) and pay money under threat of legal action.
Three Scam Categories Identified by SC
- Part-time Job Scams – “paid tasks” leading to extortion.
- Digital Arrests – coercion by impersonating authorities.
- Investment Scams – fake high-return schemes.
