Digital Arrest Scam

A digital arrest scam is a variant of government impersonation fraud in which callers claiming to be police, customs, or judicial officials tell a victim they are the subject of a serious criminal investigation, often involving money laundering, drug trafficking, or identity fraud supposedly linked to their name. The victim is instructed to stay on a video or voice call continuously, sometimes for hours, and is told leaving the call or contacting anyone else will result in immediate arrest, framing the call itself as a form of virtual custody.

During the call, scammers use uniformed backdrops, fake badges, and forged legal documents displayed on screen to appear authoritative, and pressure the victim to transfer their savings to a supposed "safe government account" for verification or to pay a fine to avoid prosecution. Victims, often isolated by the demand to stay on camera and cut off from outside advice, transfer significant sums before realizing no real law enforcement agency conducts investigations this way.

Real police and government agencies do not conduct investigations by video call, do not demand money to avoid arrest, and do not instruct people to isolate themselves from family or legal counsel. Anyone receiving such a call should hang up and independently contact the agency the caller claims to represent using an officially published number.