The Supreme Court’s direction to the CBI to conduct a pan-India investigation into cyber-crimes, and “digital arrest” scams in particular, might seem extraordinary, as such directions normally require State government consent. But by doing so, the Court has acknowledged the severity of the menace that transcends State jurisdictions and boundaries. The Court’s prioritisation of the “digital arrest” scam — fraudsters impersonate police or government officials in a video call, falsely accuse victims of crimes, and pressure them to transfer money to avoid arrest — is fully warranted. The government has estimated that this scam, which often targets senior citizens, has resulted in losses exceeding ₹3,000 crore. The Court has asked the CBI to target not just the scammers but also banking officia

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