'FedEx says your parcel has drugs': The scam that trapped an Indian comedian
Summary
Ankita Shrivastav, a comedian from Mumbai, shared her experience of being caught in a "digital arrest" scam where fraudsters pretending to be police forced her to stay on a video call and made her approve money transfers. Cybercrimes in India increased significantly in 2024, with many victims falling for scams involving fake authorities, investment apps, and voice cloning.Key Facts
- Shrivastav was told by a caller claiming to be from FedEx that a parcel she sent contained drugs.
- She was kept on video call for eight hours by scammers pretending to be police officers.
- She approved transactions totaling about 900,000 rupees ($9,300) during the scam.
- India saw a nearly 18% rise in cybercrimes in 2023-2024, with over 220 billion rupees lost to digital fraud.
- In 2024, more than 100,000 cybercrime cases were registered, nearly double the number in 2021.
- "Digital arrests" scams involve criminals impersonating police to intimidate victims into giving money.
- Scammers also use fake investment apps and AI tools like voice cloning to steal or trick people.
- Many cybercrime cases are still pending investigation or court trials, showing law enforcement challenges.
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