The Supreme Court on Monday vowed to take a tough stand against the growing menace of digital arrest scams, calling the scale of such cybercrimes “shocking" and warning that failure to act firmly could worsen the situation.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and Joymalya Bagchi said the issue must be dealt with “an iron hand" after reviewing confidential reports submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The reports revealed that cybercriminals have extorted over Rs 3,000 crore from unsuspecting victims across India, many of whom are elderly citizens.

Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters posing as police officers, government officials or court representatives to intimidate victims through fake video and audio calls

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