Digital scam in the digital age: How scamsters use various techniques to commit cybercrime and trap innocent people
While the world is rapidly becoming digitally savvy, the digital boom has brought with it a new wave of crime, the cybercrime. Scammers are evolving. Gone are the days of phone calls urging unsuspecting victims to transfer money to a stranger’s account, the game has changed—and so has the strategy of deception.
Just a few days ago, I became a victim of one such scam. But this wasn’t the typical phone or WhatsApp scam. There were no calls or text messages. Instead, it came via email. Preoccupied with office work, I didn’t check the sender’s email address—something most of us tend to overlook—and simply noted the display name.
The display name appeared to be my boss’s. That’s where the story took a turn. A seemingly normal email conversation began around 2:00 PM. The impersonator, posing as my boss, asked me to buy Amazon vouchers. The values suggested were ₹500, ₹2,000, ₹5,000, and ₹10,000. I had never purchased such vouchers before, so I struggled to navigate the process.
Sensing my hesitation, the scammer—playing the role of a concerned boss—sent me a link to assist. That link turned out to be the trap. It made the voucher purchase easier, but the next hurdle was the payment. When I informed him of insufficient funds, he insisted I borrow money, assuring me he would reimburse it by the end of the day. His words were persuasive.
Trying to be helpful, I borrowed money from my sister and a colleague. Though I hadn’t made any payments yet, the situation escalated.
Unable to make the payment using my debit card, credit card, or net banking, I sought help from another colleague. He bought the vouchers and shared the codes with me. I forwarded them to the impersonator. Within minutes, they were likely redeemed. Soon after, I was asked to buy three more ₹5,000 vouchers. This time, I refused—and the conversation abruptly ended.
This scam has been in fact explained by Amazon too naming “boss scam”. I immediately lodge a complaint within 24hr at Government of India’s cyber crime reporting site.
Think about it—today, scammers can pose as your boss, tomorrow, it could be a friend or colleague or a relative.
Rising cybercrime in India
According to recent reports, India recorded over 19.18 lakh cybercrime complaints in 2024, a significant jump from 15.56 lakh in 2023. The rise is actually tenfold since 2019.
Financial fraud remains the most common motive. Indian citizens lost an estimated ₹22,812 crore (USD 2.78 billion) to cybercrime in 2024. This is nearly three times of the amount lost in 2023, and almost ten times the ₹2,306 crore lost in 2022. The data also shows that India ranks as the second most targeted country globally for cryptocurrency-related cyberattacks in 2024, with over 95 incidents—second only to the United States.
Most disturbingly, senior citizens, women, and children are increasingly being targeted through phishing, impersonation, and social engineering techniques that exploit the lack of cross-verification.
India’s fightback against online scams
In a major breakthrough against cybercrime, the police have recovered ₹53 crore stolen through digital fraud over the past 17 months, according to official data. The extensive crackdown, which began in January 2024, has also led to the arrest of 553 cyber fraudsters, primarily from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
DCP (Cyber) Preeti Yadav stated that law enforcement teams have been consistently retrieving over ₹3 crore every month, thanks to strong coordination with bank officials and other digital stakeholders. Of the total recovered sum, ₹25 crore was traced through complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in), while an additional ₹27.9 crore was recovered through formal FIRs lodged with local police stations.
“Time is crucial in cyber fraud cases,” emphasised DCP Yadav. “Complaints filed within the first hour carry a 50% chance of recovery, with most early reporters successfully getting their money back.”
The police have urged citizens to report any suspicious financial activity immediately by dialing 1930 or lodging a complaint via the government portal, especially as cybercrime tactics continue to evolve rapidly across the country.
Crackdown on mule accounts
In Rajasthan, police have launched a crackdown on individuals who allow their bank accounts to be used by cybercriminals in exchange for small commissions. These “mule account holders” are being arrested even if they have not directly committed any cybercrime.
Authorities are invoking Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)—a preventive provision that allows arrests to avert criminal activity. In Churu district, police reviewed a list of 30 such individuals and found Banwari Lal Soni’s account linked to cyber fraud. He was arrested under Section 170 of the BNSS.
And this is just one example. Across the nation, cybercriminals are deploying sophisticated techniques to trap unsuspecting individuals. These crimes often have cross-border implications, and the CBI has called for global cooperation among law enforcement agencies.
Techniques used by cyber criminals
Criminals use social engineering tactics to manipulate people into revealing sensitive information. Many victims are unaware of common scam techniques, making them easy targets. Fraudsters exploit emotions like:
- Fear (e.g., threats of legal action)
- Excitement (e.g., fake lottery wins)
- Urgency (e.g., emergency fund requests)
They cleverly impersonate trusted sources like banks, government agencies, and close friends, using online payment systems to circulate fraudulent UPI requests, QR codes, card skimming tools, SIM swaps, and fake investment/crypto schemes.
Operation Chakra-V
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) regularly issues advisories on ransomware and phishing attacks. The dark web, they note, is increasingly being used as a marketplace for stolen data, hacking tools, and illicit services.
In response to the rising threat, the government has significantly strengthened its cybercrime response infrastructure. The Ministry of Home Affairs has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), integrating it with state-level law enforcement. Over 50,000 cyber commandos have been deployed across police stations. A dedicated portal has also been launched to report cybercrime—particularly cases involving women and children. To enhance this framework, the CBI launched Operation Chakra-V, a multi-agency initiative for intelligence gathering, case registration, and large-scale raids. As part of this effort:
Raids were conducted in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Nine individuals were arrested for operating 8.5 lakh mule accounts across 700 bank branches that were used to launder the proceeds of cyber fraud and digital arrest scams.
Cybercrime continues to grow at an alarming pace, and while the government ramps up its defenses, victims must act quickly. Filing a complaint immediately may help recover some of the lost funds—and, more importantly, warn others. In a digital world, digital awareness is your first shield. Let’s spread the word.
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