Lucknow Police has proposed an idea for the implementation of anti-digital arrest scam measures in view of the rising number of such cases across the state and the country.
In a letter addressed to the U.P. Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary, Home and other law enforcement agencies, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Law and Order Lucknow Police Commissionerate, Vineet Singh on October 14 proposed a collaboration with WhatsApp to combat the rising threat of digital arrest scams.
“Our primary solution is the development and deployment of “112Bot,” a verified WhatsApp bot operated by U.P. Police. This bot will enable users to silently add it to suspicious conversations with explicit permission, allowing real-time monitoring and intervention without compromising end-to-end encryption,” told Mr. Singh, to The Hindu.
“This proposal draws inspiration from Singapore’s ScamShield Bot, an anti-scam WhatsApp tool that detects spoofed government communications and provides alerts,” added Mr. Singh. Additional features include one-tap sharing of screenshots, caller numbers, and details for rapid police response, modeled after Bengaluru Police’s successful WhatsApp emergency system.
Digital arrest scams involve cybercriminals posing as police officers or Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials via WhatsApp video calls, falsely accusing victims of crimes and coercing them into transferring funds under threats of “digital arrest” or legal action. These scams exploit fear, urgency, and digital illiteracy, often targeting seniors and rural populations. Nationally, such scams have led to losses exceeding Rs. 1,200 crores in 2024-25, with over 50,000 cases reported through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
“As the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Uttar Pradesh Police, my motivation for presenting this proposal stems from a deep commitment to protecting the citizens of Uttar Pradesh from the devastating impact of digital arrest scams. The proposal bridges the gap between traditional policing and modern cyber threats by leveraging the ubiquitous WhatsApp platform used by over 500 million Indians for real-time intervention, ensuring victims are protected at the moment of vulnerability,” said Mr. Singh.
The ACP added such a mechanism will restore public confidence by actively tracking and apprehending scammers through 112Bot, and also demonstrate that U.P. police is proactive, tech-savvy, and resolute, countering the narrative that “digital arrests” create institutional weakness.
On asked, did he study any international project of any foreign law enforcement agency before bringing out this idea in India, Vineet Singh, replied, that he gone through the Massive Blue’s Overwatch System of the United States which deploys Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered undercover bots to create lifelike personas on platforms like Telegram, Signal, and Discord for gathering intelligence on crimes such as human trafficking and narcotics and also Europol’s Online Fraud Schemes Initiatives apart from Singapore’s Anti-Scam initiative.
Published – October 18, 2025 03:28 am IST
